Ask Congress to Keep Doctors for Medicare Patients

Dear Patient,

For a Medicare patient, a doctor can mean everything: independence, hope and security.  Medicare makes it possible. For a doctor, treating our patients is everything. We have cared for many of you covered by Medicare for years. We know many of your children and grandchildren -- our patients are family. The last thing we want to do is tell our patients that we can no longer care for them. I want to continue taking care of my Medicare patients -- that's why I became a doctor.

Even though the new health care bill promises to cover more patients, some big problems still exist. The health care bill did not fix Medicare -- the government's largest health care program.

Congress must fix Medicare now, so that you and other Medicare patients can have the doctors you need when you're sick. You deserve to receive the care you've been promised. Congress MUST focus on this problem. Congress must finally fix a problem it has been putting off for more than 10 years.

A statewide effort now is underway to collect 1 million signatures. The petition drive is asking Congress to stop the Medicare meltdown so patients can choose their doctors and their doctors can stay in the program.

Please make your voice heard.

Go to www.ipetitions.com/petition/meltdown and tell Congress to continue its work. Tell Congress to fix the crumbling foundation of our health care system.

From Dr. Deupree and the American Academy of Ophthalmology