WASHINGTON -- A new national poll shows that the vast majority of Americans, 86 percent, are concerned that seniors' access to health care will be hurt if impending cuts in Medicare physician payment go through beginning Jan. 1, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). Without congressional action, Medicare will cut physician payments nearly 40 percent over the next nine years, while practice costs increase at least 20 percent. As Congress returns to Washington this week, there's less than one month left on the congressional calendar to stop Medicare physician payment cuts.

"Seven out of 10 Americans are not aware of impending Medicare physician payment cuts, but when told about the cuts, 86 percent are concerned that access to care for Medicare patients will be hurt," said AMA Board Member William A. Hazel, Jr., MD.

"Seniors are concerned about their own access to health care services as physicians are forced to make difficult practice decisions because of Medicare cuts," said Dr. Hazel. "Eighty-two percent of current Medicare patients are concerned about the cuts impact on their access to health care. What's really startling is the huge number of baby boomers concerned about the cuts impact on Medicare patients' access to care."

"A staggering 93 percent of baby boomers age 45-54 are concerned about the cuts impact on access to care," said Dr. Hazel. "No doubt this grave concern reflects worry for parents who currently rely on Medicare, and for their own future as Medicare patients."

In just five years, the first wave of baby boomers will reach age 65, and will turn to Medicare for health care. The government plans to cut almost 200 billion dollars over the next nine years from physician care for seniors - just as baby boomers are aging into the Medicare program by the millions.

"Congress needs to stop the Medicare cuts and instead tie physician payments to the cost of caring for America's seniors," said Dr. Hazel. "Physicians are committed to caring for their senior patients, but year after year of payment cuts that fall far below practice cost increases make it difficult to continue doing so."

The AMA is asking Congress to set Medicare on the right course for the future by stopping the cuts and tying physician payments to increases in practice costs. Next week, physicians from across the country representing many state and medical specialty societies will unite to pay a "House Call" on their lawmakers in Washington and urge them to act before time runs out.

American's concerns about the cuts impact on seniors' access to health care are legitimate. A national survey of physicians conducted earlier this year by the AMA found that nearly half, 45 percent, will be forced to decrease or stop taking new Medicare patients if the planned cuts go through.

"The government made a promise to provide America's seniors with health care, now this Congress must fulfill that promise," said Dr. Hazel. "Congress must preserve seniors' access to health care by stopping Medicare physician payment cuts now, before its too late."

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EDITORS NOTE: A telephone survey of 1,031 adults 18 years of age and older living in the continental United States was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for the AMA from July 14-17, 2006. The margin of error for the survey is +/-3 percent.

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