Dear Representative Sessions:
As the Alliance of Specialty Medicine (Alliance), our mission is to advocate for sound federal health care policy
that fosters patient access to the highest quality specialty care. As patient and physician advocates, the Alliance
commends your legislation, H.R. 4133, the Medicare Patient Empowerment Act which would establish a Medicare
payment option for patients and eligible professionals to freely contract, without penalty, for Medicare fee-forservice items and services, while allowing Medicare beneficiaries to use their Medicare benefits.
Current law requires Medicare beneficiaries to pay out-of-pocket if they choose to see a physician that does not
accept Medicare and Medicare will not cover any portion of the charges incurred. Further, physicians who choose
to provide covered services to Medicare beneficiaries under private contracts must “opt out” of the Medicare
program for two years. Medicare will not pay the physician for any covered services provided to Medicare
beneficiaries during that time. Medicare beneficiaries–tax-paying Americans who have paid into the program for
years–should not be prevented from using their Medicare benefits if they choose to see a physician that does not
accept Medicare. These discriminatory policies are inappropriate and impede Medicare beneficiaries’ freedom of
choice.
Medicare reimbursements to physicians have declined and the amount of regulatory burden increases with each
regulation. As a result, more and more physicians are dropping out of the program. Ultimately, beneficiary access
to high-quality care will be compromised. We are in agreement that your legislation will help restore confidence
in the Medicare program by ensuring beneficiary access to any physician they choose to see, regardless of the
physician’s participation status.
Read full letter here
