[frog in a pot]

Basic Medicare (which pays roughly 80% of expenses)...

FWIW, not sure that is entirely correct. It appears to me Medicare requires the medical provider to apply an "insurance discount" of approx 70% or more, and then pays slightly more than half of the balance with the remainder the patient's obligation. (Not sure how Medicare calculates its obligation in the event of hospitalization.)

That is a substantial hit, and I believe is the reason why many providers apparently exclude Medicare patients from their practice.

[fatnotlazy]

Medicare pays 80% of adjusted expenses. The provider puts a dollar figure on the expense. Medicare reduces the amount, then Medicare pays 80% of that reduced amount.

[nascarnation]

many providers apparently exclude Medicare patients from their practice.

I'm not sure what your locale is.

Here in the midwest (where there are a lot of old people) this doesn't seem to be the case, thankfully.

For better or worse, I've had a lot of personal experience with medical providers since I retired.

Nationally the percentage is about 91% of doctors take medicare patients.

[bert]

-——he reason why many providers apparently exclude Medicare patients ——

however, although they don’t accept medicare, they accept Medicare advantage

medicare is an administrative headache. medicare advantage is not