Tell Congress To Prevent a 10 Percent Reduction in Medicare Doctors' Payments in 2008

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

Congress must act to protect Medicare patients from a 10 percent reduction in their doctor's fees next year. It can offset that cost by reducing the unfair, excessive Medicare subsidies to private insurance Medicare Advantage programs.

Under existing law, medical doctors' fees will be reduced by 10 percent in 2008. This will result in many doctors refusing to treat Medicare patients. Since 2002, Congress has acted annually to eliminate this required reduction, but under the new congressional budget rules, the change must be paid for by increasing taxes or reducing a Medicare benefit.

Fortunately there is an offset in Medicare: the excess Medicare subsidies paid to private insurance Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. MA plans receive 12 percent to 19 percent more than traditional Medicare. This overpayment exceeds $50 billion over the next five years, and MA plans receive $1,000 more per enrollee than traditional Medicare. This is unfair.

I urge you to vote to reduce the excessive Medicare Advantage subsidies, and use these savings to eliminate the 10 percent reduction of Medicare doctors' fees for 2008. This will help those dependent on Medicare, and do so in a fiscally responsible way.

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