April 14, 2015
Statement
of TMA President Austin I. King, MD, on the U.S. Senate vote to approve HR 2,
the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, which finally repealed the
Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula.
“An
immense weight has been lifted from the shoulders of American medicine. On
behalf of the 48,000 physician and medical student members of the Texas Medical
Association, I extend my sincere thanks to the United States Senate — and our own Sen. John Cornyn — for taking this momentous step.
“Eliminating
the constant threat of Medicare payment cuts means that we can focus our
energies on improving this new law. We can focus our energies on removing the
bureaucratic impediments that get in the way of good patient care. We can focus
our energies on enacting substantive and fundamental Medicare reforms that will
help us provide life-saving, life-sustaining, and life-enhancing care to our
senior citizens, military families, and Texans with disabilities.
“Passage
of this bill was 13 very long and arduous years in the making. I want to thank
my predecessor TMA presidents who have kept the movement alive, the thousands
of Texas physicians and patients who have visited and written and called their
representatives and senators to demand repeal of the SGR formula, and the
lawmakers who heeded our call. And the entire TMA family sends, in particular,
a warm and most heartfelt appreciation to U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess, MD, and
Kevin Brady and to Senator Cornyn. Their determination and grit over the past two years, obtaining
bipartisan agreement on the policy, have made this day possible.”
Editor’s note —
Background and useful resources for this story:
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TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 48,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMA's key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
Contact: Brent Annear, Office (512) 370-1381, Cell (512)
656-7320, brent.annear[at]texmed[dot]org
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