CMA ASKS ALL PHYSICIANS TO PLEASE CALL U.S. SENATORS TODAY!

The following information is provided by the California Medical Association (CMA).

PHYSICIANS PLEASE CALL U.S. SENATORS TODAY TO STOP THE MEDICARE CUTS

The California Medical Association is now asking for your help TODAY -
Wednesday, June 11, to make phone calls to Senators Feinstein
(202-224-3841) and Boxer (202-224-3553) to urge them to support S 3101
to stop the Medicare payment cuts!

Unfortunately, e-mails will not get read in time.

A procedural vote on S. 3101 is scheduled for Thursday, June 12.

The Senate must get 60 votes on the motion tomorrow in order to consider

S. 3101 on the Senate floor next week.

If the vote fails tomorrow it is not clear whether the Senate can act
again in time to stop the cuts before July 1st.

The vote is very close.

S. 3101 is the Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus' Medicare
legislation that would stop the 10% Medicare SGR cut on July 1st and the
5% cut on January 1st 2009. It would also provide payment updates of
0.5% for the rest of 2008 and a 1.1% update in 2009. This bill would
give Congress time to develop a long-term overhaul of the SGR.

Further, if the Senate can garner 60 votes for the legislation, Chairman
Baucus will consider the request made by Senator Feinstein to include
the CMA California GPCI fix in the final package.

The GPCI solution would increase payments to physicians in Santa Cruz,
Sonoma, Monterey, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Sacramento, Marin, El
Dorado, Placer and San
Luis Obispo. It would stop the cuts already scheduled for Alameda,
Napa, Solano, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara.

Finally, it would hold the remaining counties harmless from payment
reductions.

ACTION: THE CMA ASKS THAT YOU PLEASE CALL TODAY:
1) THANK SENATORS FEINSTEIN AND BOXER FOR THE PAST SUPPORT OF
PHYSICIANS.

2) URGE THE SENATORS TO VOTE "YES" ON THE CLOTURE MOTION TO CONSIDER S.
3101, the only bill on the Senate floor that halts the SGR cuts and
improves payments. (While Senators Feinstein and Boxer will be
supporting the motion, they still need to hear from California
physicians.)

3) URGE THE SENATORS TO CONTINUE FIGHTING TO INCLUDE THE CMA CALIFORNIA
GPCI FIX IN THE FINAL BILL.

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SENATOR FEINSTEIN 202 224 3841 SENATOR BOXER 202 224 3553
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