[MMA News Now, Sept. 13, 2012] On Sept. 12, the MMA, the AMA, 73 national health care groups and all other state medical associations sent a letter to U.S. congressional leaders to request that both the House and Senate pass legislation this fall to eliminate looming Medicare physician payment cuts.

The letter expresses concern over the “increasing level of uncertainty in the Medicare physician payment system” specifically the 2 percent Medicare provider payment cut called for under the Budget Control Act’s (BCA) sequestration provision. The sequestration provision was included in the 2011 BCA as a means of pressuring Congress to act on a deficit reduction bill.  Absent Congressional agreement, automatic, across-the-board cuts would be triggered starting in 2013.

“The combination of a sequestration cut and looming Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) payment cut would not only impede improvements to our health care system, it could lead to serious access to care issues for Medicare patients as well as employment reductions in medical practices,” the letter states.

The letter goes on to request: “Congress has a responsibility to ensure that sufficient funding is available to sustain adequate payment for medical services provided to our nation’s seniors and disabled populations under the Medicare program."