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Home > Medical Professionals > Health Policy and Government Relations > Physician Payment > Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008

The SVS Washington Outpost

JULY 15, 2008 and ZIP CODE 20001 A Unique Victory, A Unique Opportunity, A Unique Challenge

July 15, 2008 will long be remembered as an historic victory for the medical community. The battleground was zip code 20001, the U. S. Capitol, where both houses of Congress overwhelmingly voted to override President Bush’s veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331).  More importantly, July 15, 2008 will be remembered as the day the collective labors and voices of medicine’s advocates – from the AMA and the ACS to the SVS and the patients we serve – spoke as one to convince Congress to vote in favor of H.R. 6331, thus preventing a 10.6% Medicare reimbursement cut in favor of a .5% reimbursement increase for the rest of 2008 and a 1.1% increase for 2009. While the same Act had been rejected by the Senate only days previously, a blistering public relations and advocacy campaign, led by the AMA and ACS in five key states whose senators opposed the Act, plus the courageous appearance and support of Senator Ted Kennedy whose is battling brain cancer, turned the tide in medicine’s favor. 

We must remember the operative words here are “18 months” – meaning H.R. 6331 is a temporary fix to the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula which governs Medicare’s reimbursement policy – and in 18 months the forces of battle will again be joined in debate at 20001. “How can I play a role to impact possible proposed solutions over the next 18 months?” is the question each of us must now be asking ourselves as Congress and a soon to be new administration begin to grapple with the problem of correcting a flawed SGR.

If we have learned anything from our past, it is that sitting idly by and letting policy be shaped by poorly informed Congressional aides or lobbyists opposed to our views has never worked to our advantage; what has worked is rolling up our sleeves and advocating for ourselves. The next eighteen months presents us with a unique opportunity – the time to do all we can to have an impact on our future by joining the SVS Key Contact Program now and getting to work immediately.

This advocacy program is designed to match our SVS members with members of Congress by zip code. The responsibility of the volunteering SVS member will be straightforward and simple: take a day to meet with your Representative and two Senators and/or their staffs to educate them about the profession you love; its valuable role and contributions to society and their constituents while at the same time informing them of some of the deleterious decisions Congress has made which have a negative effect on our specialty. Talking points will be provided by the SVS Health Policy Committee and its staff.

July 15, 2008 showed everyone that advocacy works.  July 15, 2008 also set the clock in motion for what could be a monumental change in Medicare reimbursement policy within 18 months. Are we up to the challenge of advocating for our best interests and getting the most favorable outcome?  The choice is yours.  The challenge is unique.  The clock has begun to tick and time is fleeting SO ACT NOW by contacting Pam Phillips, SVS Washington Office Director at pphillips@vascularsociety.org to let her know that you want to be a Key Contact to your members of Congress.  She will also be contacting SVS members who live in Congressional Districts of Representatives who serve on the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees and in states with Senators who serve on the Finance Committee.  Let your voice be heard! 

Carlo A. Dall’Olmo, M.D.
Chair SVS PAC