Endocrine Insider
April 29, 2010

(See Full Issue)

As reported in the April 15, 2010 edition of Endocrine Insider, Congress continues to work on finding a long-term solution to the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, which results in annual Medicare physician payment cuts that Congress must avert.  Congress’ unwillingness to identify and pass a permanent replacement for the SGR elicits deep concern from physicians across the country, and the Texas Medical Association (TMA) has launched the “Stop the Medicare Meltdown” campaign to press Congress to fix the formula.  As part of the campaign, the TMA started a petition calling on Congress to develop a rational Medicare physician payment system that automatically keeps up with the cost of running a practice and is backed by a fair, stable funding formula.  More than 57,000 individuals and 93 state and specialty medical societies have signed the petition.  The Endocrine Society remains concerned about the impact that the annual payment cuts have on the ability of endocrinologists to run their offices, maintain their skills and the skills of their staff with additional training, and provide continuing care to their patients.  As part of its advocacy efforts to ensure that Congress passes a permanent fix, The Endocrine Society has signed on to the petition, and encourages its members to visit the site and sign on as an individual.  Additional information can be found at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/meltdown/.