WASHINGTON – The AARP and the American Medical Association are urgeing Senators to pass S. 1776, the Medicare Physician Fairness Act.

The bill is expected to lay the foundation for a new payment system to help ensure seniors' access to and choice of physicians.

Physicians are facing a 21.5 percent cut in Medicare payment rates in 2010, with additional cuts in the future. That uncertainty has prompted some physicians to stop taking on Medicare patients, making it more difficult for seniors to find a doctor.

“The continuing threat of steep Medicare payment cuts jeopardizes seniors’ access to care and physicians’ confidence in the government’s commitment to funding a strong and reliable Medicare program,” the two groups said in a letter sent Friday to senators.

According to a poll conducted by the AARP and AMA and cited in the letter, two-thirds of people older than 50 are concerned that the current healthcare system limits their ability to see the doctor of their choice.

The letter also notes that Congress has passed legislation to override the flawed formula seven times in the last seven years, and that "the past practice of ‘temporary band-aids’ ... has only served to increase both the size of future cuts and the cost of subsequent interventions.”

The Medicare Physician Fairness Act would replace the current formula with a payment system designed to ensure that doctors are paid fairly and continue to serve Medicare patients.