Proposed cuts would 'undo Medicare'

Late last week, as all doctors are aware, but few patients, the U.S. Senate failed to pass legislation that would have temporarily prevented a 10.6 percent decrease in pay to physicians starting July 1. Sens. Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham from South Carolina represented two key votes against this legislation.

As a family medicine physician in Charleston for 11 years, I have been taking care of Medicare patients in part because I agree with the sentiments that we have a moral obligation to take care of our senior citizens. However, Medicare generally pays us at least 30 percent less than private insurers with very little increase in payments year after year despite the continued escalating costs of practicing medicine in this country.

The 10.6 percent decrease in payments to physicians finally crosses the line. These most recent events threaten to undo Medicare altogether.

Perhaps this will be a good thing and a better solution will result. I would like all Medicare patients to understand that likely, right now, their physician is contemplating more than ever pulling out of Medicare.

Unless senators like Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham start to hear more from the citizens of South Carolina, our senior citizens could be faced with a medical crisis like we've never witnessed before.

Please do something to change this course. Call your senators today and ask them to vote "yes" on limiting debate and "yes" on passage of Medicare bill, H.R. 6331.

Physicians like myself want to continue our valued relationship with our Medicare patients but we need your assistance in order to do so.

E.M. NEWTON, M.D.

Newton Family Medicine

Tobias Gadson Boulevard

Charleston