Medicare May Hurt Access for Seniors

[RedEarth]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Scores of doctors will stop seeing new Medicare patients or decrease the number they see if the federal government goes ahead with a proposed cut in their reimbursement rates, the American Medical Association warned on Thursday.

The association is the lead lobbying group for physicians in Washington. It's calling for changes in the formula used to reimburse doctors for more than 7,000 health care services. The formula calls for a cut of about 4.6 percent next year.

About 29 percent of doctors responding to an online survey said they planned to decrease the number of new Medicare patients they see if the cut occurs. Also, 16 percent said they planned to stop accepting any new Medicare patients, the AMA said.

The results of the association's survey are comparable to last year's, when the organization successfully lobbied Congress to void a cut required under the formula.

"Physicians want to treat seniors, but Medicare cuts are forcing physicians to make difficult practice decisions," said Dr. J. Edward Hill, the AMA's president.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060316/D8GCRAB8C.html

[Dirty Hippie]

1. I already have to drive my disabled

son to a hospital over 150 miles away because we can't find a local neurologist who will see him. We also cannot find a local pain specialist.

I don't know what people do who have no one to drive them so far.

[KT2000]

2. It's already happened

where I live. The rural reimbursement rates have been lower for a while now so they had to set up a free clinic that is open two evenings a week.
The free clinic is for consultation with a nurse or maybe a doctor. They do not do testing.