MMS: State Budget Cuts Will Accentuate Existing Problems in Health Care

Contact:
Richard P. Gulla, MMS
(781) 434-7101
rgulla@mms.org

WALTHAM, Mass. - October 17, 2008 - Massachusetts Medical Society President Bruce A. Auerbach, M.D., said this week that  state budget cuts will accentuate existing problems in the state's health care system, and that the MMS will work with state officials to "weigh in on those areas that we feel would benefit from restoration." Dr. Auerbach said, "We will also be watching closely to see what effects come from any of the cuts remaining, so that we can watch out for our patient population base.”

In a lengthy interview with WBZ Radio reporter Lisa Meyer, Dr. Auerbach said that because of the severity of the financial crisis, “there’s going to be a lot of pain shared by many organizations and individuals because the cuts are across the board. It’s an unfortunate consequence of the economic conditions we currently face.”

While saying there’s no one particular area that the Medical Society would focus on because so many areas are being affected, Dr. Auerbach did cite several areas of concern, including home care and outreach to the elderly, community health centers, and substance abuse and behavioral health services.

Referencing the MMS’s recent Physician Workforce Study, which again pointed to the growing shortage of physicians, particularly in primary care, Dr. Auerbach said cuts to community health centers, which help fill a huge need in providing primary care services, “would only worsen any of the problems out there, whether it’s long waits for appointments and delays in preventive care and care for patients with chronic disease. The cuts are only going to accentuate any existing problems that were there before the cuts.”

Dr. Auerbach also called attention to the impending cuts to programs for substance abuse and behavioral health – two conditions he noted that increase in frequency in difficult economic times. Such cuts will only “accentuate the problem with our overcrowded emergency departments,” he said. Dr. Auerbach further said that the cuts to the state’s Health Care Cost and Quality Council, are likely to “go against our achieving the goal” of universal care for Massachusetts residents. Dr. Auerbach is an emergency physician and vice president of emergency and ambulatory services at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro.

The Massachusetts Medical Society, with more than 20,000 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The Society publishes the New England Journal of Medicine, a leading global medical journal and web site, and Journal Watch alerts and newsletters covering 12 specialties. The Society is also a leader in continuing medical education for health care professionals throughout Massachusetts, conducting a variety of medical education programs for physicians and health care professionals. Founded in 1781, MMS is the oldest continuously operating medical society in the country. For more information please visit www.massmed.org, www.nejm.org, www.jwatch.org.

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