Congress can prevent these cuts by voting to prevent an update to the much-hated Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) portion of the physicians' fee schedule.
Why should Congress act on behalf of physical therapists?
Self-interest, to put it bluntly.
Congressional and American self-interest.
Physical therapy jobs are an important part of the United States economy.
Health care jobs are reponsible for half the job growth in the US economy since 2001.
"The good news is that if the housing market falls into a deep swoon,But, the flip side of this upward trend is the larger trend of excessive US borrowing:
health care could provide enough new jobs to prevent a wider recession."
"...one explanation for the huge U.S. trade deficit is that the country is borrowing from overseas to fund creation of health-care jobs."Uh oh, Congress is between a rock and a hard place!
What, you ask, will Congress do?
Well, your crystal ball is as good as mine is.
But, today's Online News Hour with Jim Lehrer spoke truth to power when, in the face of massive US job layoffs, the show's moderators advocate spending in order to 'elevate demand in the economy'.
Right now, the 2 trillion dollar US health care economy is 50% funded by the US government.
One specific reccomendation of the moderators...
- Spending money now on Electronic Medical Records (EMR) - expected 10-year return (according to Congressional Budget Office)= $90 billion.
- Congressmen Xavier Becerra (D-CA)
- Mike Ross (D-AR)
- Roy Blunt (R-MO)
- Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
It may seem opportunistic to exploit political circumstances for economic gain now but physical therapists must remember that, for too long, the policy-makers in Washington have exploited physical therapy patients and providers for such morally ambiguous concepts like 'budget neutrality'.
Act now and contact your congresswoman (or man) and ask them to suport H.R. 43/S. 46 .
