MINNEAPOLIS, July 1, 2008—A Star Tribune editorial Tuesday acknowledged the "important unfinished piece of business hanging over the heads of doctors" heading out on their July 4 recess.

The problem, the editorial said, is the "large and troubling cut in payments to doctors who see Medicare patients." The 10.6 percent reimbursement reduction was supposed to take effect today—it is in abeyance thanks to a 10-day extension from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Star Tribune noted that Medicare physician reimbursements were tied to the nation's gross domestic product in 1997's Balanced Budget Act, whoch was the legislation that elected the 10.6 percent cut rather than a more accurate index of expenses.

The editorial cited an MMA warning "that a 10.6 percent cut could lead many clinics to stop taking new Medicare patients because they'll lose too much money on them. If you're younger, Medicare rate cuts could be passed onto you through higher premiums as providers seek to make up for lost revenue by charging other patients more."

Star Tribune editorial