Doctors look to Congress as Medicare fee decrease looms

The Connecticut Mirror ^ | November 30, 2012 | Ana Radelat

[ExxonPatrolUs]

Doc Fix = Campaign Fund Protection Racket

[pepsionice]

If you kind of line them up...the bankers, the Wall Street crowd, the doctors, the medical business folks....everyone with money on the bad end of the business situation right now....need to line up and pay campaign fund boxes. Both 2013 and 2014 ought to be banner years as folks get lots of cash to influence the 2014 election.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

It looks more and more that conservatives will get far more of what they want if the fiscal cliff happens, then if the Republicans compromise on anything.

In this case, for those people truly dependent on Medicare, they will quickly be shifted to Medicaid. However, for people of means, it means that they will have to pick up the tab for their own medical care.

Importantly, if people pay for their own medical care, the *price* of that medical care quickly drops by about 50% or more, which is currently consumed by the Medicare *system*.

Harsh, but important medicine, to get people to realize that Medicare is costing a LOT more than it is providing.

[rbg81]

Wait, weren’t the cost savings in Obamacare predicated on this rate cut? If so, then let it stand. Let people start feeling what they have wrought. More importantly, let their representatives get an earful.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Sheesh, Dr. Foley. Just sell the Bentley and house in Greenwich. You’ll be fine.

JK, folks.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I heard Pelosi on FNC yesterday say that Barry and the ‘RATS can stick it to America because they “won” and “elections have consequences”. It appears the ditz has gone over the edge. Unreal.

[Chode]

using a round number, basically this is how it works as it is now...

Diagnostic Laparoscopy = $1000

No Insurance, you pay $1000

top tier insurance like Blue Cross says,
Yeah it's worth $1000 but we give you so much business that you will take an adjustment of $150 and a write off of $100 and we'll pay you $750

Medicare says,
We don't think it's worth $1000, we only think it's worth $750 but, since we give you so much business you will take an adjustment of $150 and a write off of $100 and we'll pay you $500

Medicaid says,
We don't care what it costs, because we give you so much business we'll give you $250 or you can't treat Medicaid patients anymore.

now, cut that number and see how many Doc's will STILL treat them...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Can we just overwhelm the system already so President Cloward-Piven can commence with William Ayers’ plan to murder 10% of the US population to show us who’s boss?

[wfu_deacons]

Republicans should refuse to implement the doctor fix, this was part of the funding for Obamacare. Republicans should hang it around his neck.

[buckalfa]

:Medicaid says, We don't care what it costs, because we give you so much business we'll give you $250 or you can't treat Medicaid patients anymore."

Being sarcastic of course, say the good doctor can do two procedures in one hour of actual work time, At the Medicaid rate of $250 per procedure as in the example, that good doctor would be paid $500 per hour by the program with the lowest reimbursement rate. Just something to think about.

[hinckley buzzard]

for those people truly dependent on Medicare, they will quickly be shifted to Medicaid. However, for people of means, it means that they will have to pick up the tab for their own medical care

To qualify for Medicaid in Ohio you cannot have more than 1500 dollars to your name including all assets. If you have a car, much less a house, however humble, you can't have medicaid. By your reasoning, if you have a car worth two grand, you are a "person of means" who can "pick up the tab for your own health care."

Yeah, reality isn't what many people think it is.

[KoRn]

Very soon the left will turn their venom towards doctors and other healthcare providers. It’s coming......

[Froggie]

Physicians would be penalized for ordering unnecessary tests and procedures for their patients under the plan. But the cost of the permanent doc fix would be high — as much as $300 billion.

Two points - one, beware when the government decides what an “unnecessary” test and procedure is. When it’s the payor who decided this instead of the physician and patient rationing of care will follow and, already is with Medicare. Currently the govt. panel has announced that doctors should not do any mammograms on women for screening for breast cancer prior to age 50... unfortunately there are a lot of women with breast cancer prior to that age that will go undetected !! Also they have determined that doctors should not screen for prostate cancer...and of course that learned panel had no urologists, nor oncologists !!

Two — doctors offices are no different that any other business. They must cover expenses and turn some profit to stay in business... the profit margin in caring for a medicare patient currently is negligible to nil and when the feds cut reimbursements further doctors have two choices...refuse to see medicare patients, or close the doors...the number opting out right now is high...it will skyrocket if congress doesn’t fix this before implementation. If you have a doctor that is seeing you and taking your medicare...do not move, do not change doctors...and thank your lucky stars..and his/her office!

[Chode]

first it would really be hard do two of those in an hour even if the actual time spent looking into the patient was 30 because of time spent making sure the patient is fully prepped and sedated(even though there are preparers and an anesthesiologist) and then comes out of the anesthesia in good condition, and even if he could it would mean two separate operating rooms ready to go at the same time cause you simply can't wheel one patient out and another in like a conveyer belt

second, do you think that all goes into his pocket? try figuring Malpractice Insurance, insurance, computers, rent and utilities for his office, salaries and insurance for those that work in said office, etc into that equation... not to mention if he is still paying off doctor school loans

even at $500 an hour it goes pretty quickly since they don't operate all day every day

and yeah, that same model works on office visits too so for a $65 office visit they pay ~$15

[Chode]

agreed... also see post#14

[SkyPilot]

When doctors can’t pay their malpractice insurance, the the Democrat lawyers don’t get paid - then Obama and Congress will do something. In the meantime, elderly on Medicare and retired veteran heroes on TRICARE can suffer and die for all the Democrats care.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“Very soon the left will turn their venom towards doctors and other healthcare providers. It’s coming......”

That happened long ago. They were just somewhat stealth about it. If you want to know what the consequences of imposed socialism are to the moral and motivation of a society, look no further than American physicians. The only ones who are relatively happy at this point are those who have higher level hospital roles - with at least a portion of their salary paid by the administration. This isn't about being rich. Few doctors are - and that's a fact. This is about self-determination and having a reasonable expectation to benefit from years of sacrifice and hard work.

I must point out to the self-satisfied left. When you hurt others while playing out your own resentments, you create more resentment. Eventually, this game leads to bad things for everyone.

[A CA Guy]

This is going to be fixed by Obama by either..

#1 Creating a salary for a doctor and that is that.
#2 Declaring a doctor will get no more pay than XYZ.

This is why no one is becoming doctors and most are instead going into law.

[A CA Guy]

This is going to be fixed by Obama by either..

#1 Creating a salary for a doctor and that is that.
#2 Declaring a doctor will get no more pay than XYZ.

This is why no one is becoming doctors and most are instead going into law.

[SC DOC]

The “right” to healthcare does not require a doctor to work for free.