Posted on 03/11/2013 6:06:45 PM PDT by mnehring
More doctors are telling their older patients they'll no longer accept Medicare.
Likewise, poorer patients on Medicaid are receiving similar news. East Texas News visited with one Nacogdoches doctor putting the brakes on Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements and the hardship the decision is causing for patients.
Dr. Kelly Moon is a primary care physician. She has a lower percentage of older patients, so she can afford to place this sign announcing she will no longer accept government insurance.
"It's very bad, and I feel horrible for my patients, and it's a very unfortunate situation," Moon said.
The situation is that doctors are threatened each year by lower reimbursements.
According to the Texas Medical Association, which has 47,000 members, 80 percent of its doctors were taking new Medicare patients in 2000. Last year less than 60 percent of doctors were accepting Medicare patients.
"Smaller offices can't afford to keep up with the regulations," Moon said. "Having to go electronic, having to be audited as much, having to follow per se all the rules coming down."
Moon is saying goodbye to rules requiring her to see more patients, but spend less time with them in order to receive a Medicare reimbursement.
"I see 50 patients a day," Moon said. "I can see a reasonable amount of patients, and spend more time with them."
But Moon's time with patient Doyle Pittmon will end. The state retired worker's primary method of payment is Medicare.
"I don't know what the solution is," Pittman said. "I'll have to find another doctor who accepts medicare. I don't blame them, but it hurts the patient."
Lyn Hood is seeing the problem nationwide. The full time recreational vehicle enthusiast said "wherever we're parked" is home. If she needs a doctor, she has "to call to find out if they will accept Medicare and as you've mentioned more and more doctors aren't taking medicare."
Pittmon said this is a warning for the 10,000 people who turn 65 each day.
"Growing old is not for sissies," Pittmon said.
Here in East Texas, specialists who cater to an aging population continue to accept Medicare.
However, there is concern as more doctors stop accepting government payment, emergency rooms will get busier than they are already.
Copyright 2013 KTRE. All rights reserved.
NACOGDOCHES, TX (KTRE) -
More doctors are telling their older patients they'll no longer accept Medicare.
Likewise, poorer patients on Medicaid are receiving similar news. East Texas News visited with one Nacogdoches doctor putting the brakes on Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements and the hardship the decision is causing for patients.
Dr. Kelly Moon is a primary care physician. She has a lower percentage of older patients, so she can afford to place this sign announcing she will no longer accept government insurance.
"It's very bad, and I feel horrible for my patients, and it's a very unfortunate situation," Moon said.
The situation is that doctors are threatened each year by lower reimbursements.
According to the Texas Medical Association, which has 47,000 members, 80 percent of its doctors were taking new Medicare patients in 2000. Last year less than 60 percent of doctors were accepting Medicare patients.
"Smaller offices can't afford to keep up with the regulations," Moon said. "Having to go electronic, having to be audited as much, having to follow per se all the rules coming down."
Moon is saying goodbye to rules requiring her to see more patients, but spend less time with them in order to receive a Medicare reimbursement.
"I see 50 patients a day," Moon said. "I can see a reasonable amount of patients, and spend more time with them."
But Moon's time with patient Doyle Pittmon will end. The state retired worker's primary method of payment is Medicare.
"I don't know what the solution is," Pittman said. "I'll have to find another doctor who accepts medicare. I don't blame them, but it hurts the patient."
Lyn Hood is seeing the problem nationwide. The full time recreational vehicle enthusiast said "wherever we're parked" is home. If she needs a doctor, she has "to call to find out if they will accept Medicare and as you've mentioned more and more doctors aren't taking medicare."
Pittmon said this is a warning for the 10,000 people who turn 65 each day.
"Growing old is not for sissies," Pittmon said.
Here in East Texas, specialists who cater to an aging population continue to accept Medicare.
However, there is concern as more doctors stop accepting government payment, emergency rooms will get busier than they are already.
No, nobody could have possibly predicted this!
Mark
The two-step solution proposed by Obama:
1) Tax the poor people who could not pay for doctors.
2) Give them a piece of paper that says "I have insurance"
Oddly enough, these steps do not seem to have increased the supply of medical care available in the USA. Quite mysterious.
Time to become very friendly with your dog’s vet.
Palin was correct.......again!
It’s pretty simple to anyone paying attention; ‘0bamacare’ was DESIGNED to destroy our current (pretty good!) healthcare system.
Single Payer is what the Socialists are gunning for...and they have a firm foothold, thanks to the spineless GOP!
*SPIT*
Full disclosure: Currently navigating this NIGHTMARE with my elderly Dad. Saving a ‘round’ for myself when the time comes because in another decade, I’ll be old, ill and basically screwed.
If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my bunker cleaning my guns...
Romney was called a liar for warning us this would happen.
It’s a double win for the fedgov.
Every year sliced off the life expectancy is a huge plus for Medicare and Soc Sec funding.
Democrats are liars. It is what makes them Lieberals.
Another one of those “unexpected” moments!
"We'll have to pass it to see what's in it"...yet another filthy lie by that Botox pig from San Fransicko.We knew what was in it before it was passed.
I got an email the other day saying that Medicare will not pay for a hospital visit if your personal doctor does not admit you. It stated that if you are admitted from the Emergency room medicare won’t pay.
Now I don’t know the truth of this, but if Doctors wont take you and you are forced to the Emergency room it looks like that could be a problem.
Was that an email from Medicare, your insurance company, or some random rant forwarded from who knows who?
Lol!
The medical racket has been doing the same as other businesses for decades: reducing numbers of customers (less work) to a more upscale clientele (more money). It fits the direction of the economy in general, too (shrinking to fit those perceived as being more worthy). And as with other businesses, the medical racket makes use of government (including most involved in it supporting Obamacare).
There will be more. I’m afraid that large numbers of people who are doing well now will also fall from this economy.
Putting "unexpected" in quotes is correct, since both parties knew this would occur when they passed Traitorobamacare. People who are so traitorously evil that they support genocidal murder of unborn children are not going to care about old people who get too senile to go to the polls and vote for them.
Besides, in Illinois and other low-lying states, corrupt politicans are still able to get the dead to vote for them on election day.
“I got an email the other day saying that Medicare will not pay for a hospital visit if your personal doctor does not admit you. It stated that if you are admitted from the Emergency room medicare won’t pay.”
—
That makes no sense.
I had a stroke last June and called 911,therefore I was admitted through the emergency room. According to the info you posted I would have been in big trouble. Medicare covered everything.
.
If you think it is devastating that Doc’s are no longer accepting MediCare patients because of the low reimbursement level imagine how it is here in California where MediCare insurance IS THE GOLD STANDARD and other insurances pay LESS.
lol if my PCP spends any more less time with me he might as well just pop his head in the exam room and say...well, your looking good’ see ya in three months'...
we use to get a good physical, that was good for a year and get our meds refilled for 12 months now they only give a three month med refill and you have to see doctor four times a year just to get B/P meds...
so who is the smartest....Doctor or the Government?????
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