Fewer doctors are opting out of Medicare

The CMS saw a sharp decrease in the number of providers opting out of Medicare in 2017, after several years where thousands indicated that they did not want to participate in the program.

Physicians and practitioners who do not wish to enroll in the Medicare program may file an "opt-out" affidavit that will prevent the provider and beneficiaries seeing them from submitting bills to the CMS.

For years, the CMS had few providers opting out of Medicare, with the number first hitting triple digits in 2010, with 130. But those numbers jumped to over 1,600 opt-out requests going into effect in 2013, more than doubling to over 3,500 in 2015, and spiking at 7,400 in 2016. Opt-outs dropped to just 3,732 in 2017, according to data released by the CMS Monday.

MACRA ended the need for providers to renew opt-out affidavits every two years; now opt-outs can be indefinite, and providers must ask to rejoin the program.

Doctors have shown less and less interest in Medicare participation as the program's reimbursement has not kept up with the cost of providing care and regulations have increased, according to Donna Kinney, director of research and data analysis at the Texas Medical Association.

"Between price controls and the administrative burden, there is real concern about Medicare," Kinney said.

Medicare remains a vital part of many doctor practices. But some clinicians, particularly in wealthy metropolitan areas, feel they can opt out of the program because they can fill their practice with patients who have commercial insurance or are willing to pay out-of-pocket for care, according to Dr. Charles Rothberg, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

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