FixHealthCarePolicy

Twenty Surgical Groups Say Senate Bill Threatens Patient Access & Quality of Care

Twenty surgical organizations, led by the American College of Surgeons, sent a letter to the U.S. Senate yesterday, stating their plans to oppose the Senate health bill because they fear it will threaten patients access to specialists and undermine quality of care.

“Surgeons state that as the legislation currently stands, it fails to address some of the fundamental problems that plague the health care system,” the letter said, which also was signed by the American Urological Association and Society of Vascular Surgery.

In addition to admonishing Congress for not addressing the physician payment issues with Medicare, the group said it would oppose the pending Senate health care bill for the following issues:
– The legislation establishes a Medicare Commission that would shift the responsibility for making difficult Medicare payment and coverage decisions to an unelected Executive branch agency without appropriate checks and balances.

– The legislation includes mandatory participation in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) – a program through which CMS is still attempting to address systemic problems dating back to 2007.

– The legislation attempts to improve patient access to certain physician services through reimbursement changes, but funds these changes through payment cuts to all other physicians, including surgeons.

“We strongly support health care reform that will expand access to quality surgical and medical care to as many Americans as possible, but we cannot support legislation that puts at risk both quality of care and patient access,” said A. Brent Eastman, MD, FACS, chair of the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) Board of Regents and chief medical officer, Scripps Health, in the letter.

Tags: access, american college of surgeons, patient care, Senate Health Bill