>> FOR "HERE & NOW", I'M ADITT FROM KEN OSHA.

>> Frederica: TALK OF CUTTING BACK ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE DOCTORS ARE CRYING FOUL HOW PAYMENTS AREN'T KEEPING PACE.

PHYSICIANS HAVE BEEN LOBBYING CONGRESS SAYING PATIENT CARE COULD BE AT RISK.

WE TALK WITH A PHYSICIAN AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF THE WISCONSIN SOCIETY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

DOCTORS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOW MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT RATES ARE TOO LOW.

WHAT'S THE STATUS?

>> WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS 20, 30 YEARS AND SOMETHING WE'D GO TO CONGRESS AND TALK ABOUT BECAUSE AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT IF OUR PRACTICES RIGHT-HANDS AREN' FUNDED WE WON'T BE AROUND AND WE TALKED ABOUT PAYMENTS AND IT HADN'T CHANGED IN 20, 30 YEARS.

UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S STILL NOT ADEQUATE.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME THE PAST THREE YEARS AND WE'VE HAD PAYMENT CUTS THAT ARE SET TO GO INTO PLACE THIS YEAR ALREADY AND THIS IS WHEN WE'RE ALREADY AT RATES BASICALLY 1980 TYPE OF RATES THAT HAD NOT BEEN ADJUSTED.

LET ALONE ADJUSTED FOR THE INFLATION THAT WE'VE HAD.

IF YOU LOOK AT REAL DOLLARS, PHYSICIANS HAVE ALREADY HAD A 22% CUT IN THE PAST 20 YEARS.

>> Frederica: DESCRIBE HOW THAT AFFECTS PATIENT CARE?

>> THAT ABSOLUTELY AFFECTS PATIENT CARE.

OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE PATIENT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CHOICE AND SEE THE DOCTOR CLOSE TO THEM.

THE DOCTOR THEY CHOOSE.

AND WHAT HAPPENS IS PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS OR UNDER SERVED AREAS WE HAVE DOCTORS' OFFICE WHO'S ARE BASICALLY SMALL BUSINESSES AND THEY HAVE PRIMARILY PATIENTS THAT ARE MEDICARE THAT THE PAYMENT IS UNDER WHAT THEY WOULD GET FOR OTHER TYPES OF INSURANCE PRODUCTS, YOU HAVE CHOICES.

YOU CAN TAKE LESS MEDICARE OR ULTIMATELY SOMETIMES PHYSICIAN HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR PRACTICES.

AND WHEN THEY CLOSE THEIR PRACTICES THEY PROBABLY MOVE TO LESS RURAL AREAS WHERE THEY CAN BE BUSIER AND THAT CHOICE FOR THOSE PATIENTS IS LOST AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THE PATIENT HAS FEWER CHOICES AND OFTEN TIMES THE PATIENT HAS TO DRIVER FURTHER TO GET THE CARE THEY NEED.

>> Frederica: CONGRESS GAVE TENS OF BILLIONS TO PHYSICIANS DURING THE PANDEMIC BUT THAT WAS ALL USED DURING THE TIME?

>> THE PANDEMIC AS WE ALL LEARNED HAS BEEN CHALLENGING.

WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER INCREASES IN PAY THAT WE'VE SEEN FROM THE GOVERNMENT, A LOT OF THAT PAID FOR NEW REQUIREMENTS OR NEW ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS THEY PUT IN OUR WAY.

REAL DOLLARS AS I SAID BEFORE WE'VE PROBABLY CUT ABOUT 20% AND WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP A PRACTICE OPEN, WHEN YOU'RE HIRING NURSES AND OFFICE STAFF, IT'S A SMALL BUSINESS, IT'S JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE.

>> Frederica: HOW HARD IS IT TO ENGENDER SYMPATHY FOR HIGHLY PAID PHYSICIANS THOUGH THEY'RE REGARDED AS THE HEALTH CARE HEROES OF THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS?

>> WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THIS BEING PATIENT OPTIONS.

IF THE PHYSICIAN ISN'T THERE AND THE PHYSICIAN IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE COMMUNITY OBVIOUSLY THEY DELIVER HEALTH WHICH AS WE LEARNED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS IS INVALUABLE.

IF THE PHYSICIAN AND PRACTICE IS NOT THERE, THE PATIENTS SUFFER AND AREN'T ABLE TO SEE THEIR TRUSTED DOCTOR THEY'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW OVER TIME AND HAVE TO DRIVE FURTHER AND OFTEN TIMES IF YOU MAKE CARE LESS CONVENIENT, CARE DOESN'T HAPPEN.

PEOPLE DON'T GET CARE UNTIL IT'S MORE CATASTROPHIC CARE WHERE LESS IS ABLE TO HAPPEN THAT CAN ARREST IT.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IS ONCE THE PHYSICIANS GO, IF THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS, PATIENTS PAY THE PRICE.

>> Frederica: SO APART FROM THE SPECIFIC LOBBYING EFFORTS AROUND THESE REIMBURSEMENT RATES LIKE NW, WHAT IS THE FEELING AMONG THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY AND THESE PHYSICIANS ABOUT THESE DISCUSSIONS IN WASHINGTON ABOUT CUTTING ENTITLEMENTS AS THEY'RE CALLED LIKE MEDICARE?

>> IT'S AN IMPORTANT WAY FOR PATIENT TO GET GOOD CARE AND WE WANT THEM TO HAVE CHOICES TO GO TO THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL THEY WANT TO IN A WAY THAT'S CONVENIENT.

WHEN I THINK WITH THE NUMBERS BEING CUT, OBVIOUSLY WE THINK ABOUT THE RATES BEING CUT.

WE THINK ABOUT THE IDEA THAT IT'S GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO GET TREATMENT AND AS WE'VE SEEN PARTICULARLY EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC, WHEN PEOPLE PUT TREATMENT OFF, BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

>> Frederica: HOW HAVE LOBBYING EFFORTS BEEN MET BY CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS PARTICULARLY WISCONSIN?

>> WE VISITED ALL THE OFFICES THAT WERE OPEN TO US.

WE VISITED MOST OFFICES AND EVEN IN A TIME SO CONTENTIOUS AS THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF AGREEMENT.

THERE'S A LOT OF AGREEMENT MEDICARE SHOULD BE HELD SAFE.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD.

WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT PATIENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE CHOICE.

WE'RE BEING TOLD PHYSICIANS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH MEDICARE WITHOUT HAVING TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS.

WITHOUT WORRY OF KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON.

WHETHER YOU'RE DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN YOU'RE AGREEING WITH