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.
nobamacare = stay healthy or die. Good luck everyone.
LBJ predicted in 1965 or thereabouts that American physicians would become in time the biggest boosters of Medicare because it would guarantee them steady payments from the hapless treasurey. Was he wrong?
He was right for about 50 years.
Probably a random rant . That is why I question it.
This is a fabulous Dem idea, because it also solves another problem, Social Security. If we could just bring life expectancy down 3-4 years, we’d be doing great - in fact, we could spend the money on education, the poor, etc...
/sarc
Well, it had FWD,FWD,FWD,FWD in the title, it must be true.
I am a hospitalist (a physician that sees only hospitalized patients) and this is most emphatically not true. I supposed some forms of managed Medicare could try to make that rule but it would never stick. It is illegal to deny people emergency care
This seems to be a recurring theme but I am at a loss to understand how a law enacted without a single republican vote in either the House of Representatives or the Senate can be blamed on the spineless GOP. Possibly those throwing stones could have done better, but without a majority I don't see how.
Killing old people is Obama’s plan for reducing the Natoin’s health care. Pretty obvious what the elite are doing here. It will also wipe out a bunch of pesky American-American whitey voters who cling to their guns, constitution and God, - sooner than later.
Wonder how that works if you are arrive by ambulance due to trauma or something like a heart attack or stroke; imagine folks on gurneys in the hallway waiting for their own doctor to come admit them. We should not be surprised, the health care system is now managed by people who know nothing about actual health care.
The inventor of ObamaCare was not convincing.
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