In a letter to U.S. senators and representatives, the AAFP and 122 national and state medical organizations have called for adequate Medicare payment to physicians. The letter tells federal lawmakers that failure to increase Medicare payments to physicians will undermine federal policy of making health care available to America’s Congress to act on legislation that would avert a 4.4 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians set to take effect Jan.

1, 2006. “If this cut is imposed, Medicare rates will fall 16 percent below the government’s says. “If this cut occurs, the average physician payment rate will be less in 2006 than it was in 2001.” Even if Congress were to freeze payments at 2005 levels, physicians would, in effect, experience a pay cut because inflation is projected to increase practice costs by 2.7 percent next year, according to the letter. The AAFP has urged Academy members to contact their U.S. senators and representatives about Medicare payment.