PALM SPRINGS PERSONNEL FIGHT PHYSICIAN PAY CUTS

Judy made the D.C. trip alone this time. I had some family medical issues to deal with. She performed beautifully.

I think if our CAL-MOAA state officials could issue a joint press release with CMA to the effect that CMA and CAL-MOAA are concerned about continued care in the Medicare program for all our military, and the need to contact Congress, it would carry more weight within California than if it came from Judy and me. Although Judy has discussed with CMA a possible joint press release (CAL-MOAA and CMA), we both agree any press release is your and CAL-MOAA decision alone.

Robert Ramirez
President
Palm Springs Chapter

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April 8, 2008

Robert and I wanted to send you an update on our PS Chapter Legislative Affairs Committee recent trip to Washington D.C. (31 March to 5 April). This trip was a follow up to our San Louis Obispo presentation and the designation of our chapter (CAL-MOAA letter dated January 9, 2008) to represent all CAL-MOAA members for one specific purpose: to convince Congress to permanently fix the flawed SGR Formula law and stop further Medicare Reimbursement pay rate cuts to physicians. (Robert could not go-serious family health concerns; Patricia was not up to the trip health wise-she lives in New Mexico but remains a PS MOAA member and on our Committee).

Today, back in California writing this report, I am very proud of our National MOAA organization, the State MOAA Organizations, and our own Palm Springs Chapter, Legislative Affairs Committee, for the COLLECTIVE effort made by all of us to take our message to Capitol Hill during the same time frame. It was an excellent opportunity to make our combined voices heard by Congress.

I think the example of National MOAA joining with AMA and speaking at the AMA Rally on April 2, 2008 and The Military Coalition letter, dated March 28, 2008, on the subject of reversing the planned 10.6% reduction in Medicare physician payment rates in July 2008 was a perfect example of how working together has a better chance of getting desired results. We have all laid the ground work for a major effort these next 18 months. Congress should do the same and work together for the common good of all.

Robert and I decided to interview doctors in our area for fact finding concerning how Medicare payment cuts would affect their decision to continue accepting and retaining TRICARE, Medicare/TRICARE for Life (TFL) patients. I thought if I could work with the California Medical Association (CMA) and possibly join them on some of their visits to Senate and House of Representative Offices while I was in Washington, I could gain both valuable information and provide input by our Legislative Affairs Committee on behalf of all CAL-MOAA members.

I asked CMA if I could join them on some of their California Congressional visits and they were gracious enough to include me. It turned out to be very beneficial for all concerned: CMA, our Chapter, and for those congressional members visited. In fact, there is a strong possibility we will be asked to provide formal testimony to Congress within the next few weeks/months on the SGR/Medicare physician payment rate cuts as it affects CAL-MOAA members personally. Congressional members, their staffers, and CMA members appeared moved by the stories I related about individuals we knew who had lost access to their physicians. I also related what the fear of losing access to their long time doctors means to our senior military members and the agonizing effect they experience when that loss becomes reality. Putting the Personal Face on this problem seemed to resonate with members of Congress who are supporting legislation to stop the scheduled and future projected Medicare reimburse rate cuts to physicians.

I believe my input was positively received by all. The thing that seemed to carry the most weight was that our Legislative Affairs Committee was doing this work on our own time and with our own money. It added to our credibility of what we were trying to do on behalf of our military and Medicare senior citizens.

I also was impressed by the Doctors I was with. They had a genuine appreciation for the military and understood the importance of having quality medical care available to all our military members: Active, Reserve, Guard, Family members and Retired personnel.

Warren, I think if we could join CMA (like National MOAA did in Washington D.C. with AMA in their joint press conference/news release at the AMA Rally) we might be able to mobilize not only CAL-MOAA members but also 10-15% of the 862,000+ TRICARE Eligibles and Enrollees/Retired military in California. That would send a STRONG message to Congress they could not ignore. This is a Win-Win for all of us. Maybe we could set an example for adjacent States’ MOAA members to do the same.

The physician reimbursement rates are lower now than in 2001 despite practice costs rising 20%. Physicians are facing a total 40% pay cut by 2015 and they are concerned whether they can remain in the Medicare program and treat their patients. I know physicians do not want to be forced out of the program and they want to continue to take care of patients they have treated for years. By CAL-MOAA & CMA working together as patients & physicians, we can protect the program so it is there for our seniors and all our military personnel.

I believe with all my heart that our health care system is about to fracture. Our military have served this country well. They can not be forgotten or the promises made to them cannot be allowed to fail. The only way we can prevent it is to make Congress know it is of the highest priority for them too. I have had Congressional members and staffers tell me: “if you want this bad enough, then let us know by your PHONE/CALLS/E-MAILS/FAXES, and LETTERS-and make no mistake, NUMBERS count”.

Other states I contacted were Washington, New Mexico (Patricia Barger’s new state) and Texas because they have a large military presence. I believe from my visit with them they support stopping the Medicare Reimbursement payment rate cuts.

Judy Tilt

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KEY TALKING POINTS WHEN VISITING CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS

Good Morning/Afternoon. My name is Judith Tilt, I am from Palm Springs, California and a retired Army Officer. I am here to represent the 7,000 members of the California Military Officers Association of America (CAL-MOAA). I want to tell you about the effect Medicare’s physician pay cuts are having on access to physician care for our members.

The story begins in October of 2006 when one of our members tearfully told us that he might no longer be able to keep his doctor due to Medicare reimbursement pay rate cuts. This was very distressing for our member since he has Congestive Heart Failure and his wife had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. A week later, we formed our Legislative Affairs Committee and began to study the SGR Formula and Medicare reimbursement payment rates to physicians.

We continued to hear stories of MOAA members faced with the loss of their physicians. While losing a trusted doctor can be a trying experience for MOAA members at any age, it is especially distressing for our 65 to 92 year old members. Some of these military retirees have no other family member EXCEPT for their doctor. Many are in poor health, no longer drive and are ill equipped to telephone and listen to endless menu phone selections in a search for a new Medicare doctor. One 87-year old World War II Navy nurse is paying off a $12,000 debt for complicated knee surgery a little bit at a time because the Orthopedic Surgeon she had known and trusted for 20 years was no longer taking Medicare. However, because she trusted this doctor she elected to have him do the surgery anyway at her personal expense.

This is why I and the other members of my committee have felt so compelled to try and help our retired military with better health care access and why we have been glad to spend our own personal time and money for this project. Just the possibility of a 10.6% cut in July seems to have increased the number of California physicians who may no longer take TRICARE and Medicare and if the cut goes through, it is hard to imagine what will happen.

Access to Medicare physicians by California’s 862,000+ Tricare Eligibles and Enrollees is becoming the number one problem our members face. If the scheduled July 1, 2008 Medicare payment rate reduction is not rescinded, access to physician by our Active, Reserve, Guard, Retired Military personnel, and Senior Citizens covered by TRICARE/Medicare/TRICARE for Life will be even more catastrophically affected.

Therefore, our Legislative Affairs Committee wants Congressional members to know that we are prepared to return to Washington to present formal testimony on personal impact stories on this subject or take whatever other steps might be helpful to stop these cuts. We cannot just let our military health care fracture and lose access to our long time doctors without trying as hard as we can to prevent it.

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T E N T A T I V E I T I N E R A R Y
Judith Tilt

April 1, 2008

AMA CONFERENCE 9:00 AM
Grand Hyatt Hotel

1. U.S. House of Rep., Rep. Lois Capps(CA) 1:00 PM

1110 Longworth House Office Building
CMA-with P.S. MOAA
Ph: 202-225-3601
Fax:202-225-5632

2. U.S. House of Rep., Rep. Nancy Pelosi(CA) 1:30 PM

235 Cannon House Building
CMA with PS-MOAA-W. Primus
Ph:202-225-4965
Fax:202-225-8259

3. U.S. House of Rep., Rep. Ken Calvert(CA) 3:00 PM

2201 Rayburn House Building
CMA/RCMA with PS-MOAA
Ph: 202-225-1986
Fax: 202-225-2004

4. American Medical Association 4:30 PM

Grassroots Patient Video PS-MOAA with J. Karr
25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20001
Ph: 202-789-7400

April 2, 2008
AMA RALLY

5. United States Senate, Barbara Boxer(CA) 9:45 AM

112 Senate Hart Building
CMA with PS-MOAA Carina Armenta
Ph:202-224-3553
Fax: 202-224-0454

6. United States Senate, Dianne Feinstein (CA) 11:00 AM

331 Senate Hart Building
CMA with PS-MOAA
Ph: 202-224-3841
Fax: 202-228-3954

7. United States Senate, Jeff Bingaman(NM) 4:00 PM

703 Senate Hart Building
PS-MOAA with
Jorge Banuello-HLA
Ph: 202-224-5521
Fax: 202-224-2852
April 3, 2008

8. United States Senate, Max Baucus (MT) 10:00 AM
511 Senate Hart Building
Senate Proclamation Proposal
Favorite Son-Roy E. June
Ph:202-224-2651
Fax: 202-224-0515

9. United States Senate, Senator Maria Cantwell(WA) 11:00AM

511 Senate Dirksen Building
PS-MOAA with Dale Chung-HLA
Ph: 202-224-3441
Fax: 202-228-0514

10. United States Senate, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX) 1:00 PM

284 Senate Russell Building
PS-MOAA with Cameron Krier-HLA
Ph:202-224-5922
Fax: 202-224-0776

11. U.S. House of Reps., Rep. Lois Capps (CA) 3:00 PM

1110 Longworth House Office Building
PS-MOAA with Amy Fisher-HLA
Ph: 202-225-3601
Fax: 202-225-5632

12. United States Senate, Dianne Feinstein (CA) 4:00 PM

331 Senate Hart Building
PS-MOAA with Dan Wessel-Def LA
Ph: 202-224-3841
Fax: 202-228-3954
April 4, 2008

13. U.S. House of Rep., Rep. Mary Bono Mack (CA) 9:00 AM

104 Cannon House Building
To be arranged w/Taryn Nader-HLA
Ph: 202-225-5330
Fax: 202-225-2961

14. U.S. House of Rep., Rep. Xavier Becerra (CA) 10:30 AM

1119 Longworth House Office Building
PS-MOAA with Sean McCluskie-HLA
Ph: 202-225-6235
Fax: 202-225-2202

15. United States Senate, Mitch McConnell (KY) PENDING

361 A Russell Senate Office Building
PS-MOAA
Ph: 202-224-2541
Fax: 202-224-2499

16. Courtesy Visits with Washington D.C. Contacts TBA

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