New Ad Reminds Congress What Happened Last Time it Cut Program
WASHINGTON, July 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As Congress continues to
pursue a solution to the Medicare physician payment issue, seniors from
across the country are mobilizing over the July 4th recess to urge Congress
to preserve their Medicare Advantage benefits.
The Coalition for Medicare Choices, which consists of 400,000 seniors,
has mobilized thousands of seniors across the country to call, write,
email, and visit their representatives during the July 4th recess to
express their opposition to cutting Medicare Advantage benefits.
"My Medicare Advantage plan has always been there when I needed it the
most. Congress needs to know that while my health care benefits may not be
that important to them, they are important to me," said Joe Cameron of Fort
Worth, Texas.
AHIP today also announced that it is launching a new national
television advertising campaign that reminds Congress what happened last
time it cut the Medicare Advantage program and what's at stake for millions
of seniors across the country. The ad, "Again," begins running this week on
national cable television. Click here to view the ad:
http://clients.bn24.com/portals/ahip/Default.aspx.
"Congress needs to address the physician payment issue without putting
seniors at risk," said Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of AHIP. "Medicare
Advantage cuts could mean limited choices, reduced benefits, and higher
out-of-pocket costs for seniors."
Many doctors are also working in partnership with AHIP to contact their
legislators to voice their opposition to cuts in their patients' health
care benefits. A survey released last year found that three out of four
doctors believe that making cuts to the Medicare Advantage program would
have a negative effect on the seniors enrolled in the program. The full
survey can be found here:
http://www.ahip.org/content/pressrelease.aspx?docid=19240.
"As a physician, I see the value of Medicare Advantage to my patients
every single day. Congress needs to understand that cutting Medicare
Advantage will be harmful to millions of seniors," said Jay Cohen, M.D. of
the Monarch Physician Group in Orange County, California.
"Many of our Medicare Advantage patients are low-income seniors who
have to get by on a fixed income. If these cuts go through, some of our
patients may think twice before scheduling a needed visit to the doctor,"
said Louis Roddy, M.D., FCCP, in Houston, Texas.
A recent poll that was conducted jointly by Ayres, McHenry & Associates
and the Feldman Group on behalf of AHIP found that by a 3-to-1 ratio among
traditional Medicare enrollees and a 6-to-1 ratio among Medicare Advantage
enrollees, seniors oppose cutting Medicare Advantage instead of cutting
payments for doctors who treat Medicare patients.
The survey also found that by a 4-to-1 ratio among traditional Medicare
enrollees and a 5-to-1 ratio among Medicare Advantage enrollees, most
seniors believe cuts to the Medicare Advantage program will have a negative
impact on seniors in Medicare health plans.
Additionally, the survey found that by more than a 5-to-1 ratio among
traditional Medicare enrollees and a 13-to-1 ratio among Medicare Advantage
enrollees, seniors prefer cutting other programs besides Medicare Advantage
or raising taxes to offset the spending needed to stop a scheduled cut in
physician payments.
America's Health Insurance Plans - Providing Health Benefits to More
Than 200 Million Americans
SOURCE America's Health Insurance Plans
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.ahip.org
CONTACT:
Robert Zirkelbach of AHIP, +1-202-778-8493
|
