Advocacy Fund & Capitol Club
Joining the Pact is Vital to Your Interests
From John W. Pool, MD, PAC chair.
Are you sick and tired of working harder and harder and earning less and less? Have you had enough of everyone taking advantage of your altruism? I hope you realize that nothing will change until we let Trenton know that the physicians won’t put up with this anymore. Trenton won’t hear us unless you decide to invest in your future and join the pac. Don’t just complain in the cafeteria. Invest in the pac and help us support candidates who will support our agenda.
Aren’t you outraged that the doctors are threatened with Medicare cuts every year, and yet the federal government guarantees the hospitals, the hmos, and even the pharmaceuticals a cost of living increase? The only reason seniors still have any access at all to quality care is because we have been foolish enough to put up with this.
Things are even worse on the state level. I know I don’t need to point out to you that expenses continue to skyrocket and reimbursements continue to plunge. Are you worn out worrying about how you will still run your practice year after year? Let’s review how drastic things really are in New Jersey.
Medical liability premiums remain at an all-time high for many specialties. Medicaid reimbursements to New Jersey physicians are the lowest in the nation. Hospitals receive nearly $1 billion in charity care, while the physicians are expected to provide this care for free. Managed care companies continue to slash reimbursements. Unfunded mandates loom on the horizon, including electronic medical records and pay-for-performance.
Rather than stop practicing, many physicians have decided to stop participating in a variety of managed care plans. And yet, despite windfall profits by each and every managed care company, the Department of Banking and Insurance is now considering a regulation to allow the insurance companies to set out-of-network fees based on Medicare rates. This would seriously threaten the viability of many practices.
No other profession or business would tolerate such abuse. We are the ones who take all the risk, provide the free care, and put up with the hassles, and yet we seem to be the only ones who fall further behind each year. We have an unprecedented opportunity to change things this year. All 120 New Jersey state legislators are up for re-election this November. By investing in the pac you can help us keep our friends in office and advance our agenda.
It’s time to let the politicians know that it’s not in the voters’ best interest to keep the status quo. We, not the HMO executives or trial lawyers, know what’s best for our patients and our profession. Invest in the pac, and let’s send a clear message this November.
By making a $1,000 investment in the Capitol Club (only$20/week), you can help us keep our supporters in office. Remember, the problems we face are far too complex for us to solve on our own, no matter how well we take care of our patients. The solutions, good or bad, will ultimately come through the legislature. You can be sure the trial lawyers and insurance companies are advancing their own agenda. Your investment in the pac will help guarantee that we advance our agenda, and our voice is heard loud and clear.