http://www.kentucky.com/2010/06/13/1304856/paul-says-cut-government-spending.htmla Bowling Green eye surgeon, Paul built his medical practice on payments from Medicare and Medicaid, the massive government health care programs considered to be leading contributors to the national debt. Paul, the Republican nominee, has been paid $130,461 in Medicaid funds since 2006, about one-third of the sum that he billed the program, according to the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which administers that program. Doctors' Medicaid billings often are disputed in part, leading to smaller payments than they requested.
Paul's campaign refused to say Friday how much he gets from Medicare. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it does not release such information to protect the privacy of doctors who are paid with public funds. But Paul's campaign confirmed that he receives far more funding from Medicare than Medicaid, and roughly half of his medical income comes from the two programs. On the campaign trail, Paul calls for the abolition of entire agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Education, while complaining that Medicare payments to doctors have been cut too deeply, making it one of the few government expenses he consistently defends.
"Physicians should be allowed to make a comfortable living," Paul told supporters in Louisville in May, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Paul's campaign chairman, David Adams, said the candidate's political and personal stances are not inconsistent. Paul is sincerely critical of government spending, but being an eye surgeon essentially requires him to accept Medicare and Medicaid patients, Adams said.
"If you look at it from a medical perspective, who gets their eyes operated on? Usually, it's older people," Adams said. "And in this country, you don't have much choice after you turn 65. You're usually on Medicare. So I don't know how you avoid Medicare."
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