Unless Congress acts, patients may soon lose access to primary care

A national report showing the benefits of preventing a reduction in the rates physicians receive for providing Medicaid services was released today by the American College of Physicians (ACP). The report, "Why Congress Must Save the Medicaid Primary Care Pay Parity Program: Unless Congress Acts, Program to Ensure Access to Life-Saving Primary Care Will Expire," explains why it is critical to ensure Medicaid patients' access to internists and pediatricians (and their related subspecialists), family physicians, and obstetricians/gynecologists who provide mostly primary care.

"We are speaking for our patients when we ask senators and representatives to do the right thing and see that current Medicaid payment rates for primary care and immunizations services are maintained," said David A. Fleming, MD, MA, FACP, president of ACP. "We ask senators to co-sponsor S. 2694, the Ensuring Access to Primary Care for Women & Children Act, and representatives to introduce companion legislation in the House." The bill continues federal support for the Medicaid Primary Care Pay Parity Program, which otherwise will expire at the end of this year and trigger payment reductions to physicians who take care of many of the nation's vulnerable patients—those enrolled in Medicaid.

At its Board of Governors meeting last week, ACP unveiled a program that featured reports with parallel information for each of the states, and the District of Columbia.

The Senate bill will ensure that Medicaid payments for visits and immunizations provided by internal medicine physicians and other eligible primary care specialties will continue to be no less than the Medicare rates through 2016.