Contact: Richard P. Gulla
Tel: 781-434-7101
E-mail: rgulla@mms.org
Waltham, Mass. -- December 3, 2010 -- Saying that "we have to
advocate for physicians and patients with tenacity and
determination," Massachusetts Medical Society President Alice
Coombs, M.D., in delivering her President's Report to the MMS House
of Delegates at the Society's Interim Meeting December 3 in
Waltham, addressed two of the biggest issues currently facing
physicians: Medicare reimbursement and state payment reform.
"It's not a doctor fix, as the newspapers like to call it," Dr.
Coombs said about the effort to fix the flawed SGR formula used to
reimburse physicians for treating Medicare patients. "It's about
patients and the future of health care in America. We have to get
this right."
Dr. Coombs said Congress is trying to find money to pay for a
one-year deferment of the proposed cut of nearly 30 percent,
scheduled to take effect in January. The one-year delay would
provide time to develop a permanent fix to a problem that has
persisted for nearly 10 years, with annual last-minute fixes. This
year alone, Congress has acted five times on the issue.
Dr. Coombs said some hope exists for a positive outcome,
primarily due to increased advocacy efforts. National White
Coat Call-in Day on November 17 generated 18,000 phone calls to
Capitol Hill urging action. She also cited the efforts of AARP,
which has become "deeply involved" in the issue, sponsoring
advertising and direct mail efforts and "tele-town halls" in 14
states to raise awareness of the issue among seniors and to urge
them to advocate for change.
At the state level, Dr. Coombs told the delegates that payment
reform is "our top legislative priority," and urged them to keep in
mind that payment reform is an unknown quantity. "Payment reform
and accountable care organizations have never been deployed on a
large-scale basis before," she said. "So we've been working hard to
ensure that the issues are studied very carefully."
Recognizing that "legislation is coming," Dr. Coombs added that
the Medical Society will be working diligently to educate leaders
at the State House about physician perspectives on payment reform.
That process has begun, she noted, with MMS President-Elect Dr.
Lynda Young's participation on a state committee now discussing a
payment reform bill. Dr. Coombs also said that the Society will be
working equally hard to provide information and guidance to
physicians.
Dr. Coombs reiterated the MMS position on payment reform and
accountable care organizations, listing several criteria critical
to physicians: adoption must be voluntary; physician
leadership and independence are essential; quality measures must be
valid and reliable; self-referral and antitrust laws and
regulations must be eased; and risk adjustment, liability reform,
and peer review protections must all be present. "One size does not
fit all," she said.
"This is not a time to get discouraged," Dr. Coombs advised the
delegates. "It is a time to get busy. It is only the start of a
very long process, and I promise you will not rest until we get it
right."
The complete text of Dr. Coombs' report is available on
the MMS website.
For a four-minute video clip of Dr. Coombs' President Report to
the House of Delegates, click here.
The Massachusetts Medical Society, with more than 23,000
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 13 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 or www.jwatch.org.
