In a recent conversation with Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, he said he was less concerned about the feasibility of paying for entitlement programs than whether an adequate physician labor supply would be available to meet the demand for medical services in the future.

"Every town hall meeting brings the inevitable question from a senior, 'Why do I have to change doctors now that I am on Medicare,' said Congressman Michael C. Burgess.  "The answer is simple - doctors are not reimbursed at a level that covers the cost of treatment.  Doctors want to heal patients, but they cannot sustain giving assistance without adequate reimbursement." 

In fact, physicians have been "saved" during the last minutes of Congress from a negative update to their Medicare reimbursement. 

"In short, we keep putting a band-aide on a cut instead of curing the patient," said Rep. Burgess.  "In fact, it was my mother who reminded me that I told me that I must take Medicare patients even if I wasn't paid fairly.  It was always a financial crisis, and for too many doctors it puts their business and livelihoods at risk."

The Physician Workforce Improvement and Incentives Package is a three-fold solution to the physician crisis: reform Medicare payment; increase growth in the number of physicians; and encourage physicians to go into needed specialties.  This combination should ensure a workforce is in place as we move into a particularly difficult period of time as baby boomers age and more and more Americans become more reliant on a steady supply of health care services.