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Senate Fails To Spare Doctors From Medicare Cuts
AP via Yahoo ^ | 18 June 2010 | STEPHEN OHLEMACHER and RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

Posted on 06/18/2010 12:55:17 PM PDT by edpc

WASHINGTON – The Senate passed legislation Friday to spare doctors a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments — but the last-ditch effort did not come in time.

Moments after the Senate acted, Medicare announced it would begin processing claims it has already received for June at the lower rate. The reason: the House cannot act on the fix until next week.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: congress; cuts; doctors; fails; healthcare; medicare; obamacare; senate; spare
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This decision will probably affect Tricare too, won’t it....doesn’t Tricare follow the same reimbursement rates? I noticed an explanation of benefits hubby got in the mail today from Tricare...Tricare only paid out at 10%. What doc wants to take those types of rates?


81 posted on 06/18/2010 7:31:42 PM PDT by rangerwife (Proud wife of a Purple Heart Recipient)
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To: edpc

Senate fails... ‘nuf said.


82 posted on 06/18/2010 7:51:41 PM PDT by Jo Nuvark (Those who bless Israel will be blessed, those who curse Israel will be cursed. Gen 12:3)
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To: pieceofthepuzzle

“AFter high school I spent 17 years training for what I do as a physician, and did a lot of moonlighting to pay off big loans. I didn’t ever do it for the money, but do deserve to be compensated for my expertise, the years I spent training, and many, many sleepless nights.”

It is pathetic that health care providers do not get paid when service is delivered. Perhaps there are other businesses and professions that do not get paid when service is delivered. Even without this health care bill, the situation was deplorable. How did we ever get to this point in which health care providers routinely wait months for payment. Even worse, health care providers have little control of the payment amount.

This situation cannot persist. Health care providers have high fixed expenses and lots of training expenses. Obamacare will lead to physician job actions. I normally do not support collective bargaining. I do not see an alternative for physicians with the squeeze on their earnings.


83 posted on 06/18/2010 7:52:32 PM PDT by businessprofessor
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To: Chode

H’mmmmm.

While my husband has private insurance, it has a deductible.
He has a couple of chronic conditions and has to see his doc every 6 months for tests and to renew his meds.

Last time, Doc was on vacation, so DH saw the PA (who, BTW, screwed up his scripts). When Doc returned the following week, hubby was in distress and went in and the meds were adjusted back down to comfort levels.

When we got the bill, both the visit to the PA and the visit to the MD were billed at the same amount, down to the dollar.

I suppose it was because he was self pay?


84 posted on 06/18/2010 7:53:48 PM PDT by reformedliberal ("If it takes a blood bath, let's get it over with." R. Reagan)
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To: Monkey Face

When American’s get the guts to fight this battle, I’m 21/2 hours away. Sorry bud, I’m not paying those taxes on Health care and I’m not living under obamacare. If you choose to, that’s your choice. Several of my friends are where I will be or a few hours away. This is something we had contemplated before he was elected. If health care passed, that was the deal breaker and I’ve said if for well over a year.
I don’t need your sympathy. We have choices, we made ours. It may not be forever or it may be. Health care bill was the deal breaker.


85 posted on 06/18/2010 7:56:10 PM PDT by mojitojoe (banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Thomas Jefferson)
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To: edpc
AARP, the seniors' lobby, called the cut "unprecedented" and "dangerous"

Well then, maybe the AARP should have read the Obamacare bill before they backed it.
86 posted on 06/18/2010 7:58:23 PM PDT by javachip
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To: edpc
Vice President Joe Biden, speaking before the Senate acted, blamed Republicans for being unwilling go along with a permanent fix to the doctor cuts

Note to Joe - it's Obama's bill that cut the payments to doctors.
If ol' Joe has learned nothing in all his time in Washington, you'd think he'd have figured out that it's not a good idea to count on Republicans to always be there to fix Democrat screw ups.
87 posted on 06/18/2010 8:04:24 PM PDT by javachip
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To: Dr. Brian Kopp

My beloved has Parkinson’s, and hyperaldosteronism. He is 70, and we feel so guilty when he goes to see his neurologist and nephrologist.

What could we legally do to help offset their cost for caring for him? I thought about mailing them gift certificates, maybe anonymously. I understand that chickens aren’t appreciated all that much these days.

There ought to be something we could do to help offset the whack in the balance sheet. Do you have any ideas?


88 posted on 06/18/2010 8:17:12 PM PDT by jacquej
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To: reformedliberal
yes...
89 posted on 06/18/2010 8:23:21 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: DTogo

By God they better not screw up my medicare and my Doctor or I WILL RIOT!!!


90 posted on 06/18/2010 8:29:30 PM PDT by mpeters
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To: Voter#537

All they care about is games and “political climate”, ie. how many drugs and Marxist addictive psycho Zero aloft language they can shove down our shrinking brain and consciousness.

Waht a bunch of psycho power idiot freaks our government is made of.


91 posted on 06/18/2010 8:33:58 PM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrates Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
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To: reformedliberal

please see thins link...

http://www.aafp.org/fpm/2001/1100/p23.html


92 posted on 06/18/2010 8:39:57 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Dr. Brian Kopp
Sorry to hear about your practice.

I'm a consumer with a medically involved child. Despite having good insurance my out of pocket are significant.

Obamacare is going to hook me up with a limit on my pre-tax flexible savings account while the percentage required before you can deduct medical expenses is going up to 10%.

Change you can make believe in.

93 posted on 06/18/2010 8:51:36 PM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: edpc

“A blatant attempt to kick the can down the road late on a Friday afternoon. “

I guess they think no one will notice?

THERE ARE NO WEEKENDS OFF IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COMMUNISM!!!


94 posted on 06/18/2010 9:37:52 PM PDT by Frank_2001
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To: FormerACLUmember
What the hell was ObamaCare all about if it can not/does not solve this simple problem?

I interpret that as a rhetorical question since most of us realized Obamacare was not about fixing anything - it was all about grabbing more power for the RAT party. Or should I say the commie party. We are living under tyranny and it will only get worse unless a change takes place on Nov 2, 2010.
95 posted on 06/18/2010 10:19:48 PM PDT by Cheerio (Barack Hussein 0bama=The Complete Destruction of American Capitalism)
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To: All; edpc; Dr. Brian Kopp

Federal Health Care Legislation Adds to Push for Medical Tourism
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2534742/posts


96 posted on 06/19/2010 12:09:21 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (Don't care if he was born in a manger on July 4th! A "Natural Born" citizen requires two US parents!)
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To: technically right
Hey Dr. Cecil B. Wilson of the AMA, you stupid f*ck, it was YOUR organization that endorsed Obamacare which INCLUDED a reduction in Medicare payments to docs to make it look like it would reduce the deficit. Now STFU and live with it.

Is Dr. Cecil B. a white gentleman? Because in all the gay clubs in Chicago, Obama was known for enjoying a white man when he would get his services. Thanks a lot, Doc.

97 posted on 06/19/2010 12:26:30 AM PDT by Yaelle
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To: jacquej

There is no reason why you couldn’t set up a cash payment system for part of your treatment. Talk to them. Ask them what they would like and tell them what you are willing to do. I hope they find a cure for Parkinson’s soon. We have a friend suffering too.


98 posted on 06/19/2010 12:28:55 AM PDT by Yaelle
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To: schwingdoc

“I’m convinced their strategy has always been to bankrupt the private health care system,”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The only real question is how could a person of reasonable intelligence believe otherwise?


99 posted on 06/19/2010 3:46:21 AM PDT by RipSawyer (Trying to reason with a leftist is like trying to catch sunshine in a fish net at midnight.)
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To: FormerACLUmember

“a 21% cut equals a 42% cut in the physician’s actual income.”

Wait! You mean docs can’t get the greedy electric companies to cut their bills by 21% or their office staff to take pay cuts of 21% or the holders of their office leases to accept a 21% reduction in lease payments? I’m shocked. I feel certain Congress didn’t realize this when they were foot-dragging on putting the doc fix to a vote.


100 posted on 06/19/2010 4:19:37 AM PDT by DrC
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