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DJP Update 2-2-2006: Medicare cuts halted;
LAGNIAPPE: MAG and DJP Jr JD
ITEM ONE - Medicare cuts halted
AMA: Congress halts current Medicare physician payment cut
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/15938.html
Excerpt from AMA press release
Bill now goes to the president for signature
For immediate release
February 1, 2006
Statement Attributable to:
J. Edward Hill, MD
AMA President
"Today's congressional action stops this year's Medicare physician
payment cut, but reimbursements still fall short of the cost of providing
care to seniors. The American Medical Association appreciates Congress'
recognition of the severity of the problem for America's seniors who rely
on Medicare.
........
"While congressional action halts the current cut, the AMA will continue
to advocate for a fair physician payment formula based on
practice costs. The current payment formula is tied to the ups and downs
of the U.S. economy – not the growing health care needs of
America's seniors. We must build on the momentum and awareness raised in
2005 to make 2006 the year Congress permanently repeals the broken
Medicare physician payment formula."
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http://www.upi.com/HealthBusiness/view.php?StoryID=20060201-061848-7983r
UPI reports on February 1, 2006: "President Bush has said he will sign
the measure."
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DJP comments: This cut was halted because physicians worked together and
gave clear communications to the effects of the cuts on our
patients. Now we must get Congress to eliminate the flawed formula
and go to our AMA policy of the right of private contracting, defined
contribution, and more (See DJP Update of 12-29-2005). Government
price-fixing never works and leads to rationing by government. Give
Americans the right to make their own decisions and they will do what is
best for their families.
ITEM TWO - LAGNIAPPE: Donald J. Palmisano, Jr., JD, joins Medical
Association of Georgia (MAG) as General Counsel
David Cook, JD, Executive Director of the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG),
sent me a copy of a note he sent to MAG staff and
physician leadership. He has given me permission to share an excerpt below
to my email pen pals in my Lagniappe section.
Robin and I are proud of Donald Jr. and are very excited that he will be
working for such an outstanding medical association, one known as
a leader in advocacy for physicians and patients. It will be fun to
listen to our three grandsons, Pablo - age 7 months, Diego - 3 years, and
Marco - 6 years, to see if they develop the delightful Medical Association
of Georgia accent!
David Cook's comments follow:
I am very excited to announce that Donald Palmisano, Jr., Esq. will be
joining MAG as our new General Counsel.
Donald graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University. He then received
his juris doctorate from Loyola University School of Law in
1999. He did a brief internship with U.S. Rep. Cooksey in Washington DC
followed by a judicial clerkship with Judge Peytavain of the 23rd
Judicial District Court in Louisiana. Donald has significant experience
defending medical malpractice cases and related subrogation cases with the
law firm of Beahm & Green in New Orleans. He later developed a
specialized practice in insurance fraud litigation with McCranie Sistrunk...also
in New Orleans.
Following Hurricane Katrina, Donald, his wife and three children were
forced to evacuate and decided to make a fresh start in Atlanta.
Donald will begin work at MAG on February 13 following completion of his
commitment to his current law firm, Weissman, Nowack here in
Atlanta.
I can't tell you how excited I am that Donald will be working here at MAG.
He is widely regarded as a skilled and hard working attorney
whose background is 100% committed to organized medicine. Please help me
welcome Donald to MAG.
David Cook
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Stay well.
DJP
Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
DJP@intrepidresources.com
Donald.Palmisano@ama-assn.org
www.intrepidresources.com
504-455-5895
312-560-0180 cell
(This update sent to DJP megalist. If you wish to be removed from the
list, send me an email with "remove" in the "subject".
Thanks.)
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