PHILADELPHIA – The American College of Physicians, a national organization of 126,000 internal medicine physicians, has called on Health and Human Services Secretary-designee Tom Daschle to provide physicians with more money and assistance with healthcare information technology.

In a letter issued Wednesday by ACP President Jeffrey P. Harris, MD, the organization called on Daschle to ensure that the government stimulus package under consideration provides targeted increases in Medicare payments for primary care physicians - a 10 percent Medicare payment bonus to all primary care physicians for 18 months - and incentives for primary care physicians in small practices to adopt healthcare information technology.

"We believe that it is essential that the stimulus package provide a 'down payment' on expanding health insurance coverage and delivery system reforms to reverse a growing shortage of primary care physicians," Harris wrote.

"The 18 months when the bonus would be in effect would stabilize funding for primary care practices, especially smaller ones, which are an essential part of the safety net that people rely on for their care, especially in tough economic times," he said.

Technology would support care coordination in a Patient-Centered Medical Home as part of a broader plan to encourage universal adoption of healthcare IT, Harris noted.

President-elect Barack Obama has pledged $10 billion a year over five years to promote the adoption of healthcare IT.

"ACP applauds President-elect Obama for recommending that funding for health information technology be included in the stimulus package," Harris said. "We believe that a substantial portion of such funding - in the form of grants, interest-free loans, tax incentives, Medicare payment bonuses and support for Quality Improvement Organizations to provide technical help to practices - should be directed toward smaller primary care practices and should be used to help them acquire the specific HIT functions needed to function as a PCMH (Patient Centered Medical Home).

In his letter, Harris also called for:

• direct financial assistance and access to affordable coverage for individuals who will lose their jobs and health insurance, and
• a temporary increase in federal matching funds to states for Medicaid and SCHIP to be used to maintain current levels of Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment and benefits.

Is the ACP on target with its recommendations? Send your comments to Bernie Monegain at bernie.monegain@medtechpublishing.com