Five Health Leaders Respond to Baucus Bill

"The AMA will continue to work with Chairman Baucus and his colleagues to strengthen this proposal. The AMA continues to call for permanent repeal of the current Medicare physician payment formula that threatens seniors' access to care. The House has already recognized the importance of this action by including it in pending legislation.

"Without permanent repeal of the current formula, physicians face cuts of 40% over the next few years that will erode access and choice for America's seniors. A recent AARP poll found that 90% of people 50 and over are concerned that the current Medicare physician payment formula threatens their access to care.

"After further review of the proposal, the AMA will continue ongoing discussions with Chairman Baucus and other Finance Committee members regarding policies of concern to physicians."

Karen Ignagni
President and CEO
America's Health Insurance Plans
"Senator Max Baucus has led an unprecedented and rigorous bipartisan process to enact healthcare reform this year and challenged all stakeholders to contribute to this process. The introduction of legislation in the Finance Committee is a very important step in the healthcare reform process.

"Health plans have stepped up and proposed robust insurance market reforms to ensure nobody falls through the cracks and a complete overhaul of administrative processes that will improve efficiency, reduce paperwork, and free up time for doctors to focus on patient care. We also advocated and support a new reinsurance mechanism to assist in the transition to new market rules.

"We are committed to working with policymakers and stakeholders to find savings in the Medicare program, including Medicare Advantage, but it is important to ensure seniors' healthcare choices are protected.

"New health insurance reforms and consumer protections will guarantee access for all Americans without the need for a new untested government-created co-op that could disrupt the quality coverage on which millions of Americans rely today. We believe there is an opportunity for additional system-wide cost containment to ensure coverage is more affordable and to put our healthcare system on a sustainable and fiscally responsible path. New taxes on healthcare coverage will have the opposite effect by making coverage less affordable for families and employers across the country.

"As the process progresses, health plans will continue working with members of Congress to enact bipartisan legislation this year that will cover all Americans, make coverage more affordable, and improve quality."

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