For immediate release
Jan. 29, 2008
Contact: Pam Udall
phone:(512) 370-1382
cell: (512) 413-6807
Pam Udall
Contact: Brent Annear
phone: (512) 370-1381
cell: (512) 656-7320
Brent Annear
During his State of Union address, President Bush said, "We share a common goal: making health care more affordable and accessible to all Americans." Below is the Texas Medical Association's (TMA's) response. It can be attributed to William W. Hinchey, MD, president of TMA:
"Read my lips, President Bush. If you sincerely want to make health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans - bring the broken Medicare system into the 21st century. We find it disturbing that in the past seven years, the Bush administration has not taken steps to resolve Medicare's flawed payment formula. It doesn't make any sense that individual doctors are being forced out of Medicare. Meanwhile, Medicare Advantage insurance plans and Medicare HMOs are receiving double-digit, multimillion-dollar bonuses for simply brokering existing medical services. Worse yet, America's senior citizens and people with disabilities don't have access to a doctor and the health care they deserve.
"If President Bush honestly wants to improve patients' access to health care, he needs to take the following steps:
- Fix the broken Medicare funding formula NOW.
- Develop a NEW payment system that ensures seniors get affordable, convenient, and high-quality care and pays doctors fairly.
- Put Medicare patients' health care needs before health insurance company profits."
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Last Updated On
October 27, 2015
Originally Published On
March 23, 2010