(Pictured left to right) Signature Medical Group physicians, Gregory L. Jewell, M.D. (OB/GYN Physicians); David J. Anderson M.D. (Mid County Orthopaedics); Senator Claire McCaskill; Joseph Forand M.D.; and David J. Morton M.D. (Metro Heart Group).

Signature Health Services and Metro Heart Group of St. Louis sponsored the Physician Leadership in Private Practice Medicine Breakfast Meeting with Senator Claire McCaskill on August 27, 2009 at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac. Nearly 100 physicians from private practices, multi-specialty groups and hospital employee physicians that representing 18 specialties gathered to discuss ways to preserve and enhance the quality of healthcare and access of healthcare for all.

The focus included Federal Healthcare Reform as well as the CMS proposed changes to the 2010 Physician Fee Schedule and the subsequent redirection of patient services. Senator McCaskill agrees that there are changes that need to be made, “We are beyond broke, we are double and triple broke and there are some tough, tough discussions coming. We can’t sustain what we are doing right now and the eight hundred pound gorilla in our deficit is Medicare. It’s a much bigger problem than social security so we’ve got to figure this out and we need your [physician’s] help. “
 
She added, “It’s very, very difficult for there to be free market principles in medicine right now because nobody really knows what they’re paying or whether or not it’s a fair price.