In an online survey of 9,000 physicians, the top two reasons given for limiting Medicare volume were the threat of the fee cut and concerns that even current Medicare fees are too low.
Congress usually averts the automatic fee cut just before it is due to occur, but this time it officially went into effect June 1. However, CMS said it will not process new claims until June 14, giving the Senate a week to pass a two-year fee-fix with a small fee increase after Congress returns from recess on June 7. The House has already passed the bill.
In addition to releasing the poll results, the AMA has launched a multi-million dollar and campaign on TV, radio and newspapers, including the New York Times, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.
Read the AMA release on the Medicare fee cut (pdf).
