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For Immediate Release
February 13, 2003

For Further Information
Pamela Ingham
(212) 308-1414, ext. 302
Scott Kramer
(212) 308-1414, ext. 329

New York, NY - The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) praises U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Harry Reid (D-NV) today for reintroducing the Geriatric Care Act, legislation originally put forth in 2001 that would increase the number of geriatricians in our country through training incentives, and provide better quality care to Medicare beneficiaries by creating a new Medicare geriatric assessment and care coordination benefit.

"The number of geriatric physicians in the U.S. is insufficient to meet the current and future health care needs of our Medicare beneficiaries," said Jerry Johnson, MD, President of the AGS. "This bill will remove barriers to care faced by the elderly, increase our numbers and enhance the services we are able to provide. It is imperative that Congress follow the lead of Senators Lincoln and Reid and take action on this essential piece of legislation."

The bill, which currently has 13 original cosponsors, would improve our aging population's access to geriatric care over the next 30 years, and would modernize the Medicare fee schedule to acknowledge the importance of geriatric assessment and care coordination in providing health care for seniors.

If passed, the legislation would allow Medicare to cover essential care coordination services for seniors, thereby allowing geriatricians to manage medications effectively, to work with other health care providers as a team, and to provide necessary support for caregivers. It would also remove the disincentive caused by the Graduate Medical Education Cap established by the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. As a result of this cap, many hospitals have eliminated or reduced their geriatric training programs. The Geriatric Care Act corrects this problem by allowing additional geriatric training slots in hospitals, thereby increasing the number of residents in geriatric training programs.

Finally, the bill would clarify that geriatric training programs are eligible for two years of fellowship support under GME, as provided for currently under the Social Security Act.

According to the American Geriatrics Society, there are currently fewer than 9,000 certified geriatricians in the U.S., and this number is expected to decline dramatically in the next few years as practicing geriatricians retire at the same time the baby boom generation attains Medicare eligibility.

Geriatric medicine provides the most comprehensive health care for the most vulnerable seniors, promoting wellness and preventive care, helping to improve patients' overall quality of life by allowing them greater independence and preventing unnecessary and costly trips to the hospital or institutions.

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people. The society supports this mission through activities in: clinical practice; professional education on the clinical care of older people; research; public education and information; public policy efforts; and through collaborative relationships with other organizations. For more information about AGS programs and initiatives, visit the AGS Web site at www.americangeriatrics.org