With a 21% cut to Medicare reimbursement rates set to take effect Monday, the nation's largest physician organization has informed its members about their options -- which include shutting off practices to new Medicare patients.
"To our physicians, we are providing information on their Medicare participation options, including how to remove themselves from the Medicare program," said James Rohack, president of the American Medical Association, whose more than 250,000 members include doctors, medical students and faculty members.
Some 43 million Americans receive Medicare coverage. For doctors who accept Medicare, federal law requires that reimbursement rates be adjusted annually based on formula tied to the health of the economy.
That law says rates should be cut every year to keep Medicare financially sound. But Congress has blocked those cuts from happening in seven of the last eight years and could still do so this year.
Those temporary fixes aren't good enough anymore, warned Rohack.
He said the AMA wants the current law to be repealed and a new formula used "that more accurately reflects the cost of providing care" in determining Medicare reimbursement rates.
In the meantime, physicians are asking the AMA to prepare handouts they can give patients to prepare them for the worst-case scenario: getting dropped completely. And a new report on the AMA's Web site tells doctors how they can help their patients find other doctors if they decide to no longer accept Medicare.
"All this is a result of physicians becoming very frustrated with the situation," said Rohack. "It's regrettable, but it reflects the current political environment. Congress need a crisis before it acts."
12 comments:
wake up america!!!! this president is going to destroy life as we know it. All you that voted for him do you feel safe with your health care, your money, your job about terrorism. How about unemploymentn how long is that going to last? The answer in your heart of hearts is no no no! You don't feel safe You don't feel good.Its Obama's world now. Nothing matters but health care and that is not even about health care.
I say shut the healthcare system down... doctors rally to the cause and show that you are needed. This is not a joke
Strike Strike
You have been destroyed over the last 20 years.. what are you waiting for
Help me! After I pay for my three Mercedes, boobs for my wife, ex-wife, and mistress, 100 rounds of golf a year, a 5000 square foot house, the vacation house, 3 months of vacation per year (not at vacation house, of course), malpractice insurance, and my children's private school, I have no money! If we don't fix the medical system, it just won't pay to be a doctor. Tell your congressmen to give me more money!
10:43 I have a better idea-take all his stuff sell it take it away give it to you and me the guy down the street.That rich person does not deserve to have more than you or me. Its just not fair! I say tax him at least 50% -75% Nail em hard! i just hope he is not the guy I work for.... What the heck do it anyway then I can just sit back and collect collect collect. Thats right I will collect I mean the country will be okay right? Kill capitalism and rely on our stable government the united states of china.
I say....let go of the plastic world. People need to start thinking more alternatively. I have lost faith in most doctor's. If you do not need surgery, a nurse practioner can do more for you. I had a doctor actually put a cathedar in the wrong hole of one of my clients. WTF.(shake my head)
Doctor's are taught to fix everything with a pill instead of looking at the root of the problem and sadly, people automatically follow their orders without second opinions and doing their own research.
Doctor's study hard and many years to be able to do what they do and get paid what they do, I am not knocking that. I just think that when money is the driving factor for any career, there is a tendency to loose sight of the humanistic and ethical side of things.
This country is going down fast. From healthcare to politics to electric.
I say we implement a bartering system. That would make the IRS real happy.
Unlike the poor underpaid layers who only protect the defenseless? Maybe you ought to check which profession truly has the wealth , power influence --LAWYERS.
1043 you comment is unfair, untrue ,offensive and cruel. There are a few doctors who fit that description, but the majority struggle to make ends meet just like everyone else. The hours are grueling, the stress is crippling and the pay has decreased dramatically over the last decade. I work with surgical services and I see caring, comopassionate hardworking docs and nurses, your comment is disgraceful and symptomatic of what is wrong in this country. Everyday docs do surgeries and treatments to patients that do not have insurance and I seldom hear complaints. There are mistakes,but there are many many many more great outcomes--the ruptured Aortic anuerysm that lives, the Motor Vehicle victim that lives, someday when a docto saves your life 1043 I hope you regret this comment.
unfortunately, this medicare issue has been problematic for years and congress usually just puts a hold on the decrease. But, now we have added a large prescription drug benefit while decreasing our tax revenues, and increasing our spending through the wars and bailouts...quite simply there is no way to pay for medicare. Doctors deserve to make a comfortable living. They study for years, take out huge loans, and there services are vital -- you expect perfection. Adding financial burdens to them just makes their jobs more difficult. Do you want your doctor to be worrying about his bills while saving your life?
Let them keep on with their higher prices, they will price themselves out of business!!! What more do they want they what the average Dr here in this town has?
10:43 you are an idiot. I know many doctors and trust me they don't live anywhere near that lifestyle! a few do most don't. let's see you spend 8 or more years in college incur the debt, work 100+ hours in residency for another several years getting paid peanuts. then finally get to where you can make enough to pay off your school loans and make a decent living for the nest 10 to 20 years, be on call, getting maybe a couple days off each month.
and don't forget dealing with the insurance companies, the government and the cost of malpractice insurance on top of it!
yeah thay got it made! meanwhile the politicians and the lawyers are sucking the life blood out of this country!
You are a fool! and I bet you think the politicians are getting the same medical care we get?
What about what the average lawyer owns? What about what the slumlord owns? How can someone who offers a LIFESAVING service price themselves out of business? What price would you pay to save a loved one versus what you pay for rent? MORON!!!!
Doctors should go on strike, maybe the lawyers can perform cardiac surgery--
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