Once again, optometrists and other doctors face a severe reduction in Medicare reimbursements. But this time, the 10.1% cut in Medicare payments is the deepest ever.
Although optometrists dont face the double-digit reductions that some doctors do, O.D.s can expect a 6% reduction in optometry services. Unless Congress steps in and changes the final rule for physician payment rates, the cuts will go into effect January 1, 2008.
The proposed 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule includes this 10.1% cut due to a flawed payment formula that has required annual stopgap fixes since 2001. But, an even greater concern looms ahead: The 2007 Medicare Trustees Report predicts total cuts of about 40% by 2016.
On November 8, optometrist John Whitlow, president of the Georgia Optometric Association, testified on behalf of optometry before a congressional subcommittee that is looking into the impact that current Medicare physician payment policies have on solo and small group physician practices.
When reimbursement rates are pegged at artificially low levels that do not reflect genuine practice costs, patient access suffers because clinicians will be financially unable to serve many patients. That is the inherent evil in any flawed payment formula, Dr. Whitlow said.
He also enumerated several ideas for reforming the process. The [formula] should be repealed and replaced with a payment update system that reflects increases in physicians and other health providers practice costs.
The American Optometric Association is asking O.D.s to contact their representatives in Congress to urge them to stop the proposed cuts and to create a long-term solution to the flawed payment scheme. To e-mail to your representative, go to the AOAs
