New Healthcare Amendment Will Preserve Access To are For illions Of Patients

Senator Arlen Specter D-PA proposed a new amendment to the current healthcare reform bill which will preserve access to care for millions of edicare patients seen by a medical specialist

Senate Amendment 3163 would require the enters for edicare and edicaid Services S to delay for one year implementation of its decision to eliminate consultation codes for specialists A survey of its members recently conducted by the American Association of linical ndocrinologists AA indicated that if the consultation codes were eliminated four out of five endocrinologists would be forced to drastically reduce or eliminate the number of edicare patients seen in their practices

The American Association of linical ndocrinologists AA fully endorses the Specter Amendment AA has opposed the S ruling since it was originally announced In a letter sent August 26, 2009, AA cautioned S that the result of the ruling “will be a significant reduction in the quality of care received by older Americans when they need it the most” The S rule, which goes into effect on January 1, 2010, would no longer allow endocrinologists and other specialists to bill for consultations provided for patients referred to them by primary care physicians

“The Specter amendment will enable edicare patients, the major segment of our population that is most vulnerable to serious illness, to continue to have access to specialists,” AA President and hief of ndocrinology at Harvard Vanguard edical Associates, Dr Jeffrey R Garber said “It will also give S and ongress a chance to critically re-examine this flawed proposal”

In addition to AA, the amendment is being endorsed by: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology AAAAI, American Academy of Neurology AAN, American edical Group Association AGA, American ollege of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology AAAI, American ollege of ardiology A, American ollege of Gastroenterology AG, American ollege of Rheumatology AR, American Gastroenterological Association AGA, American edical Association AA, American Psychiatric Association A, American Society of linical Oncology ASO, American Society of Gastrointestinal ndoscopy ASG, American Urological Association AUA, oalition of State Rheumatology Organizations SRO, Heart Rhythm Society HRS, Infectious Diseases Society of America IDSA, Joint ouncil of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology JAAI, North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society NANOS, Society for ardiovascular Angiography and Interventions SAI and The ndocrine Society TS

AA is encouraging all medical specialists and their patients to write their embers of ongress asking them to support the Specter Amendment and to sign an online petition to reverse the elimination of these codes at http:wwwkeepthecodescom

Source
American Association of linical ndocrinologists

source : www.medicalnewstoday.com

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