[Praxeologue]

I read the article. As a Canadian, I don’t understand something. Couldn’t a patient use Medicare and then top it up with an additional cash payment to satisfy Mayo’s requirements? Or is that not allowed under the Medicare program?

[darkwing104]

Couldn’t a patient use Medicare and then top it up with an additional cash payment to satisfy Mayo’s requirements? Or is that not allowed under the Medicare program?

The patient can get supplemental Insurance. The problem is that far too many Americans have adopted an entitlement mentality...They expect to get everything for free and they vote to get more freebies. Too many people have made a career of living off of the dole.

The taxpayers are getting to the point where we can no longer support them. It's become a way of life for so many able bodied people. Also, the Medical Professionals need to make a living also. Hard work should be rewarded.

You can only do so much charity work before you yourself becomes a Charity Case.

[Praxeologue]

I clicked through to the Bloomberg article and found this:

A Medicare patient who chooses to stay at Mayo’s Glendale clinic will pay about $1,500 a year for an annual physical and three other doctor visits, according to an October letter from the facility. Each patient also will be assessed a $250 annual administrative fee, according to the letter.

[gas_dr]

Couldn’t a patient use Medicare and then top it up with an additional cash payment to satisfy Mayo’s requirements? Or is that not allowed under the Medicare program?

This is illegal under medicare. This is called balance billing and if a physician does this, he is subject to $10,000 fine per incident and 2 years in prison for each occurence. So the government literally holds us at the point of a gun, nice, eh?

[Ethrane]

Not allowed.

[cajungirl]

YOu can privately contract with a doc who does not accept medicare but it is a major hassle,,lots of paperwork.