Medicare must change the way it values physician services to avert primary care collapse

Medicare must change the way that it values and reimburses physician services to prevent a collapse of primary care medicine in the U.S., the president of the American College of Physicians (ACP) told the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health today. ACP President C. Anderson Hedberg, MD, FACP, made his comments while sharing ACP's views on the 2006 report of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission

"The collapse will occur at a time when we need more primary care physicians to care for an aging population," noted Dr. Hedberg. "By 2030, one fifth of Americans will be over 65, with an increasing proportion over 85. In fact, the 85 and over population – which is most likely to require chronic care services for multiple conditions – will increase by 50 percent from 2000 to 2010."