Internists call for Medicare pay increase to be part of stimulus plan

Washington -- The American College of Physicians called on the incoming Obama administration to use economic stimulus spending to increase Medicare fees for primary care physicians by 10% for 18 months.

"Insufficient and inequitable Medicare payment is one of the major reasons why younger physicians are choosing careers other than primary care and many established primary care practices are struggling to stay afloat in these tough economic times," wrote ACP President Jeffrey P. Harris, MD, in a Dec. 17, 2008, letter to former Sen. Tom Daschle. President-elect Barack Obama has nominated Daschle to be Health and Human Services secretary.

Obama and Democratic allies in Congress are crafting a stimulus measure designed for quick adoption this year. The package could include several hundred billion dollars in spending on roads, bridges, schools, temporary tax credits for businesses and an extension of unemployment benefits, among many other items. The bill would be in addition to the $700 billion economic recovery measure enacted in October 2008.

Dr. Harris also asked Daschle to support a temporary increase in federal Medicaid matching funds to help states maintain health coverage for the poor during the recession. "Such measures are necessary first steps toward comprehensive reforms to expand and guarantee affordable health coverage to all," wrote Dr. Harris. Obama has pledged to use the stimulus to help states and health care professionals. The president-elect unveiled a plan Dec. 20, 2008, to provide $25 billion to states to help them avoid service cuts, including health care reductions.

Obama and some leading Democrats also support using stimulus spending to help physicians and hospitals purchase health information technology. Dr. Harris suggested that some of the health IT spending should be used to help primary care practices -- especially small ones -- acquire the technology needed to serve as medical homes.