Legislative Alerts

Action Alert to all members - Posted July 14, 2008
Your response requested immediately

President Bush is threatening to veto the Bipartisan Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.

Action Needed: Call the White House at 202.456.1414. Ask for the Office of Legislative Affairs and request that the President sign the Medicare Bill.

Action Alert to all members - Posted July 1, 2008
Your response requested immediately

Seniors need our help; call your senators and tell them to put a stop to Medicare cuts.

Today, July 1, the government will slash Medicare physician payments by 10.6 percent, forcing many physicians to make the difficult choice to limit the number of Medicare patients in their practices.

Your help is still needed. First, see how your senators voted on H.R. 6331. Then call your senators at (800) 833-6354. If they voted in favor of H.R. 6331, thank them for their support. If not, tell them to stop the Medicare payment cuts and keep their promise to protect America's patients and physicians.

Action Alert to all members - Posted June 26, 2008

Your response requested immediately

The Senate will be voting in the next two days on a new, compromise bill to avert the July 1 Medicare physician payment cuts. We need one final phone call to your United States Senators asking them to vote YES on the Baucus compromise in the Senate this week...Use the AMA hotline at (800) 833-6354.

The message is simple:

To ensure that Medicare patients continue to have timely access to care, the Senate must act now to stop the 10.6 percent cut in payments for physician services on July 1.
A good bill, H.R. 6331, just passed with overwhelming, bipartisan support in the House.
There are no acceptable excuses for not supporting H.R. 6331.

There is not enough time for e-mails. Phone calls are the only way to make your voice heard in time to stop the July 1 Medicare physician payment cuts!

Alert Notification - Posted June 24, 2008

Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act H.R.6331 passed by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 355-59. The House is to be commended for offering support for the Medicare package but the situation will remain fluid and change quickly.

If you are not yet enrolled, please sign up for the AMA's Physician Grassroots Network to receive updates on the legislation.

Action Alert to all members - Posted June 23, 2008

Your response requested by: June 27, 2008

Time is Extremely Important now, with less than 7 days left in the legislative session before the cuts are implemented. We need to keep up the pressure and let our Congressmen know that ACCESS TO CARE WILL BE IN JEOPARDY if these cuts are allowed to go through. Please forward this message to your constituents, asking them to contact their Congressmen, too.

Senators and Representatives are feeling the pressure to complete work on a Medicare physician payment fix before the July 1 deadline. Alliance members can help. Use the AMA Grassroots Hotline at (800) 833-6354.

Action Alert to all members - April 28, 2008

AMA champion Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., has submitted her bill, S. 2785 , otherwise known as the Save Medicare Act of 2008, which has received bipartisan support and acclaim.

But we need your help encouraging your senators to get involved with this issue.

We need you to call or e-mail your State Senator now! Urge them to co-sponsor S. 2785. Use the AMA Grassroots Hotline at (800) 833-6354.

The Save Medicare Act would stop the Medicare physician payment cuts for 18 months without increasing the cost of permanently fixing the fatally flawed Medicare physician payment system. The 18 month timeframe will inject some stability into the program for seniors and for physicians who may be forced to make difficult practice decisions because of the scheduled payment cuts. The timeframe will also provide time for Congress and the AMA to begin working on a long-term solution to the broken payment system, rather than devoting their efforts to stopping irrational payment cuts twice in one year.

Please, take five minutes and make the calls or send the e-mails. When you click on this link, be sure to click on "change address." Urge your State Senator to co-sponsor S. 2785. Your patients and your practice are depending on it.

Take Action Now!

Action Alert to all members - Posted March 24, 2008

Your response requested by: March 31, 2008

The Save Medicare Act of 2008, bill S. 2785, has been submitted to Congress by AMA champion Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan.

The Save Medicare Act would stop the Medicare physician payment cuts for 18 months and will not increase the cost of permanently fixing the fatally flawed Medicare physician payment system. The 18 month timeframe will inject some stability into the system for seniors and physicians forced to make difficult practice decisions because of planned payment cuts. The timeframe will also give Congress time to begin working on a long-term solution to the broken payment system without having to take action to stop the cuts twice in one year.

Your senators are home for their spring break and it's a perfect time to catch up with them on issues, especially encouraging them to cosponsor this bill.

Fellow Alliance members and physicians will be in Washington, DC for the AMA's National Advocacy Conference. Call or email your state senator so that when you and your colleagues meet with them, they will already have heard from your state.

The most critical activity you can undertake by March 31 is to contact your state senator. Here are three simple things you can do to keep the pressure on them:

Ask your spouse to urge ten of his/her colleagues, whether in your practice or around the country, to call their senators. Go to the American Medical Association's Medicare Physician Payment Action Kit to learn more, then call your senators using the AMA's Grassroots Hotline at (800) 833-6354.
Email a message to make your voice heard. Tell your own personal story: how will these cuts impact you and your patients?
Forward this message to your spouse's colleagues, office staff, family and friends.

Sponsored by: AMA Alliance Legislation Committee, working in concert with the AMA's Office of Advocacy Operations