Seniors squeezed as doctors shun Medicare

Source: CNN MONEY

If a proposed 21% cut in payment rates goes through in 2010, it could spark a physician boycott against new enrollees


Medicare has become a scary word to the doctors at the largest private group practice in Kansas City, Mo.

It's so scary that most physicians at Kansas City Internal Medicine, with 65% of its nearly 70,000 active patients age 65 or older, have stopped accepting walk-in Medicare enrollees, said Dr. David Wilt, an internist at the group.

Wilt and his colleagues say they are shunning the area's growing senior population because they believe Medicare doesn't reimburse physicians enough to cover the cost of care.

"And if Medicare further cuts its reimbursement rates, then we'll be functioning at a loss," said Wilt.

Wilt -- and doctors with lots of senior patients -- are especially troubled by a 21% cut in Medicare payments to physicians scheduled to take place in 2010. Last week, the Senate voted against stopping that cut, and more annual cuts over the next decade, from taking place.

"If the (21%) cut happens, that cut in our payments will exceed our profits. The only option to us to stay in business will be to fire employees," Wilt said.

Physicians say a boycott against Medicare has already begun because they are tired of dealing with the yearly threat of a payment cut.



Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/27/news/economy/healthcare_medicare_doctors/index.htm?postversion=2009102707

I start my Medicare coverage in March.

There used to be a time when 5 - 10% "profit" was very good. Now it seems that 20 or 30% is not enough.

This is a continuing problem that must be fixed. A 21% cut in payments would devastate Medicare and access to physicians.

and if they do a 21 % cut it will hurt us badly. He does a lot of free care as it is.

Is Grover Norquist behind it?

What a stupid article.

A formula put in during daddy Bush's admin (I think, might have been early Clinton), in the SS law dictates the cut, but in December (once in a while January) Congress ignores the formula and approves a very small increase (so far). It's a stupid political game and usually the caculated cut is relatively small.

I suspect docs would boycott with a 21% cut (I sure wouldn't want one examining my rear if that happens), but look at the medical practice's patient base. These docs are stuck with Medicare for a long time unless they really want to cut back their practice and income -- they'll bitch about payment, threaten firing employees (never cutting their own income). Of course, it's a different story if anything approaching this calculated cut were made (I do remember one year where a couple of percentage points were cut during the first part of a year).

I have no problem with physicians' income -- they deserve it -- but without enactment of Medicare there would be a lot less wealthy physicians. Back then, Medicine was not as lucrative financially.

Congress does need to get rid of this annual BS that just gets seniors upset and a few vocal physicians bent out of shape. But, we also need to figure out how to deliver health care less costly, and quick.

Like the civilized nations have . . .

:eyes:

to give doctors who openly accept medicare an income tax break then to offset the cut.

doctors wouldn't have a choice. It's hard to feel much sympathy when you go for an appointment, wait 2 hours, see a doctor for 5 minutes and then have to pony up $75 (best case scenario) and still have no idea what's wrong with you. Oh . . . and chances are $20 or so was also charged for peeing on the 50 cent test strip which they never tell you the results of.

I'm on Minnesota Medical Assistance, which is the state health coverage for the disabled, and I run into this same crap! :grr:

I went to a chiropractor who openly denied TriCare (many signs, large print) while at the same time bragging about his son who had enlisted in the military. Ummm....:wtf:

Needless to say, I don't go there anymore.

Then you have to control costs by cutting rates to doctors.

The solution is to expand Medicare to Everyone so that health insurance works like it is supposed to. The healthy subsidize the sick. The young subsidize the old.

We must EXPAND MEDICARE to SAVE MEDICARE.

MEDICARE FOR ALL.

It's the smartest most cost effective way to go.

they deserve.

Technically we are insured so free clinics don't want us. I have even tried the pay as I go option and they refuse to even discuss it. Our entire medical building has ZERO doctors who will take on new medicare patients. What are we supposed to do? We need doctors too.

Bill to HMO from Doc

$150.00


Bill to Medicare from Doc

$350.00

Bonus paid by HMO to Doc for keeping claims low:

$20,000.00

Amount paid by Medicare for procedure:

$150.00

More like:
tonsil removal from medicare = 500$ + costs to doctor
tonsil removal from private insurance = 3000$ + costs

The reimbursement from private insurance dwarfs medicare.

Today, a doc is very lucky to get 1.2 to 1.5 of Medicare's rates from private insurance (they might charge $3000 in the example you gave, but they'll be very lucky/happy to get $750). And, there are plenty of areas where docs get only bit more, or in some cases, less than Medicare.

I've seen docs make a very decent income seeing Medicaid patients almost exclusively (Medicaid pays substantially less than Medicare in most areas), but they work hard to do it.

"First, do not harm."