The following is the AAPS Medicare Patient Freedom Resolution. If you wish to sign on, please follow this link to the Declaration of Support. Please encourage others to support Medicare Patient Freedom; print out this resolution and the accompanying declaration and pass them along.

July 30, 1999

MEDICARE PATIENT FREEDOM RESOLUTION 1999

WHEREAS: The sanctity of the patient-physician relationship is essential to medical care;

WHEREAS: Medicare patients should have the freedom to contract privately with their doctor of choice for the treatment of choice as do all other Americans under the age of 65;

WHEREAS: When patients have control over their medical spending they become more prudent consumers of medical care, thereby reducing utilization and medical care costs;

WHEREAS: Private contracting will generate billions of dollars in savings to Medicare and to the taxpayers by reducing payments by Medicare and adminstrative costs:

WHEREAS: Current Medicare regulations do not specifically guarantee patients’ freedom to enter into private contracts with their physicians for any treatments of choice for a mutually agreeable fee;

WHEREAS: Current Medicare law requires that physicians who enter into any private contracts with Medicare-eligible patients must withdraw from Medicare for all patients for a period of two years;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:

That any reform or changes to Medicare by Congress should include a provision explicitly guaranteeing a patient's unrestricted freedom to contract privately with the physician of choice for any services deemed appropriate by the patient with counsel of his physician;

That physicians be allowed to enter into private contracts with Medicare-eligible patients on a case-by-case basis;

And that Congress remove the two-year withdrawal period for physicians who enter into private contracts with Medicare-eligible patients.