Dear Senator or Representative,
On behalf of the Massachusetts Medical Society, representing over 25,000 physicians, residents, and medical students in the Commonwealth, I want to thank you for your efforts to mitigate the negative health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
and keep your constituents up-to-date on the latest developments. As you know, COVID- 19 is testing the limits of our health care system—and the members of the Massachusetts Medical Society are on the front lines.
I receive daily updates from our physician members on the roadblocks they face in providing care during this pandemic and their concerns for the future of healthcare. While we will continue to prioritize public policies that affect today’s response to
the pandemic, such as access to testing and PPE, we also need to make sure that we have a robust physician community tomorrow. Just today, I received a note from a doctor in Springfield urging me that “we need a plan for saving our practices.” As
a business owner, he has been financially “decimated” by reduced patient volume and the inability to perform surgical procedures, with a nearly 90% reduction. Medical professionals are putting their lives on the line to treat patients, but fear that,
without financial aid, they will have to shut their practices—reducing the care available to constituents after this crisis subsides. As you prepare for your town halls and consider policies to address this public health and financial crisis, the team at Massachusetts Medical Society reiterates our offer to share these stories with you and be your medical resource.
To that end, the enclosed letter sent to Congressional Leadership details the most critical threats to the healthcare providers and effective solutions to address them — policies for PPE, telemedicine, expanded testing capacity, surprise medical billing, Medicare/ Medicaid, and economic support to physicians.
These challenges, if addressed quickly, can help physicians overcome supply shortages, health care staffing shortages, and related financial challenges essential to ensuring constituents receive the appropriate care. We welcome the opportunity to
talk this through with your team and be a resource for you going forward.
Sincerely,
Maryanne C. Bombaugh, MD, MSc, MBA, FACOG
This letter was sent to:
- The Honorable Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senate
- The Honorable Edward Markey, U.S. Senate
- The Honorable Richard Neal, U.S. House of Representatives
- The Honorable James McGovern, U.S. House of Representatives
- The Honorable Lori Trahan, U.S. House of Representatives
- The Honorable Joseph Kennedy III, U.S. House of Representatives
- The Honorable Katherine Clark, U.S. House of Representatives
- The Honorable Seth Moulton, U.S. House of Representatives
- The Honorable Ayanna Pressley, U.S. House of Representatives
- The Honorable Stephen Lynch, U.S. House of Representatives
- The Honorable William Keating, U.S. House of Representatives
