Model Resolutions

RESOLUTION CONCERNING MEDICARE REFORM

CMA House 2003 Resolution Author: Thomas W. LaGrelius MD, Delegate

Title: Medicare Reform email address [email protected]

Whereas: It is beneath the dignity of the profession of medicine to endlessly beg for crumbs from Congress and voters and

Whereas: CMA, AMA and many other branches of organized medicine have long lobbied Congress heavily, expensively and utterly unsuccessfully to block cuts in the Medicare (and Medicaid) fee schedule and

Whereas: These programs are and will always be grossly under funded and efforts to overcome that are clearly futile and

Whereas: The obvious failure of organized medicine to block Medicare (and Medicaid) fee cuts makes organized medicine look ineffectual and foolish and

Whereas: Financial realities including the limitation of available tax base and the burgeoning population of potential entitles require that fees continue to drop if the nation is to avoid bankruptcy and

Whereas: Many doctors are already opting out of Medicare, as most have opted out of Medicaid, and the majority might do much better opted out in any case and

Whereas: American seniors are the wealthiest subset population group in the country and many can easily afford physicians fees while those being taxed to pay for their care are among the poorest and

Whereas: Those seniors who cannot afford physicians fees cannot find charitable doctors to care for them as before Medicare because of economic factors dictated by Medicare be it

Resolved: That CMA reverse, and encourage AMA to reverse, its lobby efforts and endorse the current Medicare fee cuts as necessary government spending limits on entitlement programs and be it further

Resolved: That CMA move to a position, and encourage AMA to move to a position of actively advocating that Medicare, like Medicaid, be completely redesigned and converted gradually to a program for the elderly poor and be it further

Resolved: That CMA offer, design and implement, and encourage AMA to offer design and implement programs to assist doctors in opting out of Medicare if they so choose, and publicize this service widely and actively as a major emphasis shift.