Morris County Medical Society



52 Elm Street, Morristown, NJ 07960				973-539-8888

2011 Announcements

IMPORTANT – CALL TO ACTION TO THE NEW JERSEY PHYSICIAN COMMUNITY.   Make a Call Today to Request the Cosmetic Tax Rollback Legislation Advance to the Governor’s Desk

Important legislation that would rollback (over three years) the onerous cosmetic medical procedures tax needs to jump just ONE MORE legislative hurdle before going to the Governor’s desk for action.    The full Assembly needs to vote on the measure – A-3646/S-1988 – before they adjourn on January 9.   We are working hard to get the bill posted at the January 9 Assembly voting session.

Please call the Speaker of the Assembly Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) at 973/395-1166.   Introduce yourself and ask that the Speaker post A-3646/S-1988 at the January 9 voting session.

Also call your two members of the Assembly (find them at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp), introduce yourself as a concerned physician in their district, and ask that they encourage Speaker Oliver to post the bill.

The bill unanimously passed the Senate in September, and was unanimously released from the Assembly Appropriations Committee on December 1.

The Assembly sponsor, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, concurred during his statement that is about jobs and the economy.   "This tax has proven ineffective and an administrative hardship to New Jersey residents and businesses," said Johnson (D-Bergen). "This phase-out will gradually alleviate the financial and administrative burdens associated with the tax. Since it was imposed, the tax has increased overall costs for recipients of cosmetic medical procedures, and imposed an administrative burden on the medical offices billing the procedures and the state agencies charged with the administration and enforcement of the tax. It's time to get rid of it. As we're looking to create jobs and economic development, an ineffective tax like this that very likely is chasing jobs and medical work to other states quite simply needs to go."

     Under the bill, the 6 percent rate of tax currently imposed on the gross receipts from cosmetic medical procedures is reduced by two percent per year over a three-year period:

     * On or after July 1, 2011 but before July 1, 2012 the rate of tax imposed will be 4 percent;

     * On or after July 1, 2012 but before July 1, 2013 the rate of tax imposed will be percent; and

     * On or after July 1, 2013 the rate of tax will be eliminated.
Your response to this important call to action can help put the bill on the agenda and to the Governor’s desk.

December 29, 2011

IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!!! ACTION NEEDED TODAY!!!!!!

We are contacting you today because WE NEED YOUR ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT!!!! The "Congressional Super Committee" failed to permanently fix the broken Medicare payment system and to reach its goal of saving $1.2 trillion and will not be addressing the physician payment issue. Congress is scheduled to be in Washington until mid-December. The grim financial environment in Washington makes the likelihood of a cut to Medicare physician payments greater this year than in past years.

Contact Congress TODAY to urge them to stop the 27.4% cut to Medicare physician payments scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2012, and to permanently fix this broken system. Log on to the AMA Legislative Action at: http://capwiz.com/ama/utr/2/?a=53132696&i=520116&c=

The AMA, MSNJ and your County Medical continue to strongly advocate for Congress to stop these cuts and repeal the SGR. However, Congress NEEDS TO HEAR FROM SURGEONS whose ability to care for patients and practice is being threatened by the failure to enact permanent reform to Medicare's broken system. IT IS CRITICAL THAT ALL FELLOWS CONTACT CONGRESS TODAY and tell them to stop the cut.

December 6, 2011

First Annual Atlantic Health System Personalized Genomic Medicine Symposium
Saturday, October 29, 2011 • 7:15am to 1:00pm
Overlook Medical Center, Wallace Auditorium, 99 Beauvoir Avenue, Summit, NJ
Learn More

The House of Representatives passed HR 5712 (Physician Payment and Therapy Relief Act of 2010) by a voice vote yesterday. The bill now sits on the President’s desk for signature. This legislation provides for a 31-day reprieve from the 23% Medicare physician payment cut scheduled.

Organized medicine continues to urge Congress to provide stable physician payments through the end of 2011.

We urge you to discuss this issue with your patients and suggest they call Senators Lautenberg and Mendendez and Congressman Frelinghuysen and tell them to oppose the Medicare cuts.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Should you have any questions, please call the Society office.
2011 Summer MCMS Newsletter
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2011 Medicare Fee Schedule
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