I spent the day with fellow plastic surgeons from around the northeast lobbying our representatives in Congress. We came together under the auspices of PlastyPac, the official political arm of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Specifically we were encouraging our senators and house members to seek a permanent fix to the sustainable growth rate (SGR) calculation used to determine Medicare compensation, that continues to be "patched" to avoid a drastic cut in compensation to surgeons who treat the elderly. We also asked them to support the Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation and Surgery (CARES) act that mandates insurance coverage for the treatment of birth defects. It was a beautiful day on Capital Hill. We met with Senator Mikulski, Senator Cardin, Rep. Van Hollen, Rep. Sarbanes and Rep. Bartlett.
It was a real eye opener to see how young the staffers are that make so many of the important decisions when briefing their bosses that affect us all. I listened a lot and learned from fellow surgeons who have been doing this for years.
I encourage anyone living or visiting the D.C. area to take some time and express your views to your representative. You will learn and gain respect for how things get done in a democracy.
Dr. Jabs
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