It Begins: Medicare Patients See Long Waits for Doctors

Verum Serum ^ | November 26, 2010 | John Sexton

[SumProVita]

From the right-wing extremists at the Washington Post:

Want an appointment with kidney specialist Adam Weinstein of Easton, Md.? If you’re a senior covered by Medicare, the wait is eight weeks.

How about a checkup from geriatric specialist Michael Trahos? Expect to see him every six months: The Alexandria-based doctor has been limiting most of his Medicare patients to twice yearly rather than the quarterly checkups he considers ideal for the elderly. Still, at least he’ll see you. Top-ranked primary care doctor Linda Yau is one of three physicians with the District’s Foxhall Internists group who recently announced they will no longer be accepting Medicare patients.

“It’s not easy. But you realize you either do this or you don’t stay in business,” she said.

Recall that these steep cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates are the way in which the Obama administration was able to claim that a) Obamacare cost less than a trillion dollars and b) it would bend the cost curve. In fact, the administration now has a stark choice between instituting the “doc fix” which would rescind the Medicare cuts or welcoming in the era of decreased access and rationing via long wait times. They don’t have long. The rate cuts to Medicare reimbursement are set to begin December 1st.

[ozark hilljilly]

Long delays are not out of the ordinary for state Medicaid patients. That’s been going on for years.
I’m surprized it just now becoming an issue with Medicare.

[Starboard]

A doctor (specialist) in the family who is a partner in a huge practice in a southern state said recently that they are dropping Medicare. Their patient base is in the thousands. They simply can’t afford it.

[Yet_Again]

I’ll be eligible for Medicare next year. What if I don’t sign up and keep my private insurance plan...?

As of now, I don't think you can do that. Clinton forced all seniors onto Medicare.

[WestwardHo]

You tell that to the face of a patient with cancer, or diabitis, and a score of diseases that cannot be treated with flower of thistle, etc.
Be thankful you have good health and have the luxury of spouting such drivel. Wrapping it all in superior “Jesus” talk is an embarresment and you should be ashamed.

[kromike]

Do you think this will begin to wake up a few more people?

Nope. With The First Uhh-Umm-Err's approval ratings still in the high 30's, he could roast live kittens on TV and they'd still vote for him because "at least he's not a ... (cue ominous music)... REPUBLICAN or TEA-BAGGER ...."

[SumProVita]

Yep...this was evident here in Tennessee over 2 years ago when my husband was looking for a new physician after a move. Several doctors here would not accept any new patient on Medicare (even if they had Tri-care), because they were not getting paid.

[thethirddegree]

I would love to see Obama and others who pushed Obamacare get an incurable disease that their platinum health care plan is helpless to address.

[Mr. K]

I think doctors can do a lot more to sink Ostupidass from running for a 2nd term just by acting like this in anticipation of what will happen to them in a 2nd term

2 years of geezers complainign will hurt a lot

[tuckrdout]

No I don’t. Not unless it is publisized. And that is our job. These folks are going to be too sick, and dying to do it. Obama, and every other communist nation, wants the older citizens to ‘just die already’...because they are the ones who are the witnesses of the truth about society.

[TomGuy]

I’ll be eligible for Medicare next year. What if I don’t sign up and keep my private insurance plan...?

Many private insurance companies automatically drop those eligible for Medicare.

If you do not sign up -- at least for the prescription drug plan, you will be assessed a percentage fine for each year you fail to sign up. That fine is cumulative and is imposed on all future years, even if you later join Medicare.

[netmilsmom]

>>The physicians cannot accept cash from those patients. If they do they will be fined. Second offense means prison. Nice, huh?<<

Who would know?
It’s just going underground. When I was the Office Manager in a medical office, I was not allowed to tell people we took cash. My doctor didn’t take checks, cash only. Handed over in the office and the payments never hit the books.

[tacticalogic]

These folks are going to be too sick, and dying to do it. Obama, and every other communist nation, wants the older citizens to ‘just die already’...because they are the ones who are the witnesses of the truth about society.

Obama and the socialists in Congress need for the older population to die off sooner so that more of their estate assets are left to be taken when they die. They have plans for that money, and they don't appreciate a bunch of old, white folks thinking they're entitled to it just because they earned it.

[GOPJ]

If you keep working after you qualify, you might be able to keep it. Sometimes your current insurance can be used as your supplemental later... If you postpone your choice (without having an approved qualified plan) you could get stuck with a choice you don't want... Your HR department is a good place to start... they understand this stuff. Most of us who have dealt with this in any way don't understand it... it's tricky.

Many state's have a group that explains insurance choices. In Florida the group is called SHINE... You probably have the equivalent... Be careful with groups that also sell - as they'll push you into something that works for them - rather than for you. I recently heard a horror story about a medical advantage plan... lots of pit falls out there. I'll say a prayer for you.

[mlizzy]

Be thankful you have good health and have the luxury of spouting such drivel.

Good health, that's a joke! I have two auto-immune illnesses, both incurable (or so they say) and I am on disability because of one of them, yet I seem to be finding partial cures through holistic health (because no mainstream doctor has been able to help me thus far). And I did say most, not all. Did you not read that? And I am not ashamed regarding my belief in Jesus and His workings.

[Cheerio]

What if I don’t sign up and keep my private insurance plan...?

If you get your health ins through an employer it is doubtful they will allow you to keep the same plan when you reach medicare age. If you purchase your health insurance on the open market - -? Depends, but I would think most health insurance plans cease after one reaches age 65 and you are offered a secondary to medicare.

[Ole Okie]

If your doctor doesn't take medicare, how are you supposed to file? And trust me, the private carrier won't be sympathetic.

Bluntly, if the doc doesn't take Medicare, you're SOL with that doctor. He won't see you in the first place.

[Free America52]

True story - my mom (78 years old) has two herniated disks. It took over a month to see a specialist, and now she is having to wait until January 6 for surgery. Meanwhile she is in excruciating pain, flat on her back and cannot do anything except take the pain pills they are giving her - Oxycontin. Very sad to see our health system at this point ...

[GOPJ]

All the countries where they have 'obamacare' type systems, the wealthy have private alternatives. What dems have done with this mess is they've given all of us the equivalent of a 'free clinic for the homeless' type medical care. It'll be horrible... with all the charm and sensitivity of a group run by the TSA...

If you have the money, doctors are setting up private care practices - you'll be a member for a set annual fee plus expenses. Have fun watching your children and grandchildren who can't afford such care to do without... Or you can go broke trying to protect them... This is some democrat's way of giving us 'choice'...

I'm starting to hate democrats.

[WestwardHo]

To bad all that hasn’t taught you to be more thoughtful and compassonate towards others in what you say.
There are a lot of people with chronic medical conditions, some catastrophic and complex, others with conditions that may appear “simple”, but have long term, life changing consequences if not treated.
They see what “national healthcare” means to them, and they are frightened.
A I’m doing great, too bad about you attitude is just wrong.

[bert]

I once had a very good customer, a physician. I would call him to pay me and he said come by and tell his receptionist and she would. After the first time I knew the drill. She would take a cigar box from under the counter and pay me.

Once I went and she hauled out the cigar box and it was empty. She just shrugged and said “sorry, Some one else beat you to it...... maybe Thursday”