As the dog days of Obama’s first summer as president drag on (and a pre-vote recess of Congress is imminent), much speculation abounds on the inclusions and exclusions of the health reform package upon final vote in little more than a month. As Doctor Pundit has noted previously, the so-called silent, pertinent majority in the debate over reform — the physicians — is steadily losing that “silent” appellation; their push for an independent Medicare payment/reimbursement advisory commission is simmering and gaining traction.

Some of the country’s major players in the world of Medicare payments are now coming on board to support non-partisan approaches to determine fair payment patterns; the largest of these players also stands to gain the most from such a proposal — the acute care hospitals. Obama has gone on record supporting proposals for an “Independent Medicare Advisory Council”, as it would become a parallel agency within the executive branch in setting reimbursement policy.

Physicians are finally taking a cue from the late Peter Finch and his Oscar-winning monologue and calling for fairness on this issue. Of course, it always helps to have a lawmaker or two in your corner, as well. Is a Medicare “Payment Czar” in the works, and would it be a step in solving the waste that plagues the CMS? If anything, the greatest benefit to the mainstreaming of this debate is the growing voice by physicians (and not the politically safe AMA crowd) who demand true reform in the government sector of healthcare delivery. | LINK

Related Posts Within Doctor Pundit:

1. Commission Advising Medicare Payments Makes Suggestions on Medicare Payment Policies MedPAC, the independent commission that advises Congress on Medicare payments,...
2. Obama Signs Bill Delaying Medicare Payment Cuts to Physicians until April 1 Physicians — especially those of the primary care type —...
3. Obama Appears Intolerant of Waiting for Definitive Legislation to Curb Medicare Payment Cuts to Physicians A year ago, Doctor Pundit highlighted the perennially contentious matter...
4. Physicians’ Concerns Raise Awareness of Need for Revamped Medicare Legislation Yep, November 2010 is shaping up to be a very...
5. Commission Advises Congress on Additional Fees for Medicare Coverage MedPAC, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, is advising Congress to...