Home Press Room Press Releases

Press Room

Feb 02 2012

Congressional physicians to AARP: Help us save Medicare

Today, GOP Doctors Caucus members and Senate physicians released an open letter to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), urging them to join the Caucus’ efforts to salvage Medicare. Unless significant changes are made to the program, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the Medicare trust fund will be bankrupt by 2020, a crisis that is both unacceptable but preventable. Congressional health care providers hope that the AARP, the leading special interest group representing seniors and Americans over 50, will work with them to provide concrete, specific policy proposals to save the program.

“The Medicare program will go broke in a few short years,” said Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D., (GA-11), co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus. “Opponents of saving the program from bankruptcy cannot be allowed to hamper our efforts to protect the promise of Medicare for today’s seniors and future generations. As medical providers, we are hoping AARP will join with us as we encourage Congress, the president, and outside groups to stand with us - for the benefit of our patients - and publicly pledge to save Medicare now. America’s patients can't wait.”

Sen. Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), said, “For too long politicians and special interest groups have used the politics of fear to paralyze the debate and continue the status quo. They have promised seniors and supporters that there will be no changes to Medicare. Unfortunately, as long as politicians obscure the prognosis of the Medicare program for political benefit and stakeholders like AARP fail to publicly challenge these political calculations, a national conversation about how to best save the Medicare program will not move forward.”

Co-signees of the letter include:

Sen. John Barrasso, M.D. (R-WY)

Sen. Jon Boozman, O.D. (R-AR)

Sen. Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK)

Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D. (GA-11)

Rep. Dan Benishek, M.D. (MI-01)

Rep. Diane Black, R.N. (TN-06)

Rep. Charles Boustany, M.D. (LA-07)

Rep. Paul Broun, M.D. (GA-10)

Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, R.N. (NY-25)

Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX-26)

Rep. Larry Buschon, M.D. (IN-08)

Rep. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (LA-06)

Rep. Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (TN-04)

Rep. John Fleming, M.D. (LA-04)

Rep. Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-01)

Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01)

Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (TN-01)

Rep. Mike Simpson, D.D.S. (ID-02)

Click here to read the letter

###

Bookmark and Share


Date Title
5/23/13 SENATE VOTES TO REDUCE CROP INSURANCE SUBSIDES, SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS
5/23/13 Senators Coburn and Pryor Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Require Federal Employees to Pay Federal Taxes
5/16/13 Senators Coburn, Burr React to GAO Report on Hospital Payment Modification
5/15/13 IN LETTER TO PRESIDENT, SENATE REPUBLICANS DEMAND COMPLETE COOPERATION INTO IRS INVESTIGATION
5/15/13 Senators Coburn, Burr Introduce Bill to Prevent Unrealistic Medicaid FMAP
5/15/13 GAO Report Identifies Cost-Saving Strategies for Contracting for Services
5/14/13 Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Coburn Highlight GAO Report on Data Center Consolidation Progress
5/7/13 Social Security Report Calls for Increased Attention to the Death Master File
5/6/13 GAO Report Outlines Improper Federal Employees’ Compensation Payments
5/1/13 GAO Report Describes Medicaid Improper Payments
Date Title
4/30/13 Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Coburn Continue Oversight of Boston Bombings
4/24/13 Senators Coburn and Udall Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Duplication and Overlap of Federal Programs
4/23/13 Burr, Coburn, Thune Introduce Public Employee Pension Transparency Act
4/18/13 Dr. Coburn Criticizes the FAA’s Decision to Furlough Air Traffic Controllers Instead of Making Smart Cuts
4/17/13 Coburn and Upton Issue Statement on FDA Opioid Drug Application Ruling
4/16/13 New GAO Report Calls for Improved Reporting of the Effectiveness of Training Programs for Federal Acquisition Personnel
4/16/13 GOP Senators Release White Paper on Health IT, Cite Concerns
4/10/13 Dr. Coburn’s Statement on Manchin-Toomey Proposal
4/10/13 Coburn Statement on USPS Board of Governors Decision to Back Away From Modified Delivery
4/9/13 Senators Introduce the Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act
4/9/13 Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Coburn Highlight Report Detailing Potentially Duplicative Government Programs and Wasteful Spending
Date Title
3/28/13 HHS REPORT SHOWS TENS OF MILLIONS LOST TO MEDICARE OVERPAYMENTS
3/22/13 Dr. Coburn to Host Town Hall Meetings in Oklahoma
3/21/13 Coburn and Issa to USPS: Use Your Authority to Proceed with Modified Six-Day Delivery Plans
3/20/13 Senate Votes to Protect Wine Trains over White House Tours; Limits Political Science Grants