Texas Doctors Lash Out



Years of working with insurance companies have made doctors, once a dependable Republican constituency, very testy indeed:

AUSTIN — The main political arm of Texas physicians is withdrawing its endorsement of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for re-election, a spokesman for the Texas Medical Association confirmed this afternoon.

Spokesman Steve Levine said the association, which represents 43,000 doctors and medical students, is furious that Mr. Cornyn helped block legislation that would delay a 10.6-percent cut in physicians’ Medicare fees.

“The Texas Medical Association Political Action Committee (TEXPAC) is outraged that you made the decision to follow the direction of the Bush Administration and voted to protect health insurance companies at the expense of America’s seniors, those with disabilities, and military families,” wrote El Paso physician Manuel Acosta, chairman of the medical association’s board, in a letter to Mr. Cornyn.

Dr. Roland Goertz of Waco, a member of the PAC’s board, said in an interview that Medicare reimbursements are too low, causing doctors to refuse new patients.

“Every one out there who’s a family doctor is going to have to re-think their participation in Medicare,” he said. “I hate to say it because it’s the most vulnerable population out there.”

Dr. Acosta told Mr. Cornyn, a Republican freshman who faces Democrat Rick Noriega this fall, that doctors will “face financial crisis” if the cuts take effect on Tuesday, as scheduled.

“There is talk, and then there is action,” he wrote. “We expect our elected officials to show leadership and do the right thing. Absent that, TEXPAC has rescinded our support of your candidacy.”