THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE
~ Trusted ~ Independent ~ Effective ~

December 19, 2011

NEWS RELEASE

Failure to Pass Medicare "Doc Fix" Will Hurt Millions of Seniors

"If Congress fails to reach an agreement on a "Doc Fix" by the end of the year, doctors who treat Medicare patients will see their pay cut by about 27 percent in 2012.  Each year , America's seniors and their doctors wait and watch while a flawed formula passed by Congress more than a decade ago threatens double-digit cuts to Medicare physicians. 

This Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula is clearly inadequate and needs to be replaced, but no approach has yet gained enough support to persuade Congress to act on the issue.  Instead, each year Medicare doctors are threatened with huge pay cuts and patients face the possibility of losing access to their trusted physicians. Americans are sick and tired of Congress playing politics with Medicare.  Failure to address this flawed formula over the long-term is unacceptable to the millions of middle-class Americans who depend on Medicare--failure to pass even a temporary "doc fix" is unforgivable."... Max Richtman , NCPSSM President/CEO

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The National Committee, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization acts in the interests of its membership through advocacy, education, services, grassroots efforts and the leadership of the Board of Directors and professional staff. The work of the National Committee is directed toward developing better-informed citizens and voters.

Media Inquiries to:
Pamela Causey 202-216-8378/202-236-2123
Kim Wright 202-216-8414
www.ncpssm.org