News, Doctors say Medicare cuts forcing them to shift away from elderly (surgery, claim)

[John1960]

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.

Doctors say Medicare cuts forcing them to shift away from elderly

[stockproipi]

That's fine. Let's them. There are plenty of other doctors will take on those patients and are happy with Medicare payment.

[GreggT]

I agree with stockproipi, besides you always have a choice of paying the bill yourself so you can go where you want, as often as you like.

[lcole07]

Name 3 that are HAPPY with the obama cuts!

[kevxu]

From the article:

"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."

Awwwwwwwwwwwww, show me poor doctor. ROTFLMAO.

[lcole07]

kevxu, if you are in business or work somewhere that sells a service or things let me know where. I'm 71 and might want to do business with you as long as you supply me the items at a 75-80% discount. Should be no problem as either you or the boss must have money to subsidize me. I wonder how fast my a#s would be out the door. You or any doctor owns me nothing.
Larry - Hobe Sound, Fl

[chuck_steak]

Well, the doctors that have mostly elderly patients will still be taking Medicare. It's the bulk of their business and it's steady guaranteed payments.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by stockproipi

That's fine. Let's them. There are plenty of other doctors will take on those patients and are happy with Medicare payment.

Young docs who are building a practice and who will dump them as soon as the practice grows enough.

Medicare/Medicaid underpays, requires way too much paperwork, and endlessly comes up with excuses not to pay you. It's ridiculous.

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by stan4

....Medicare/Medicaid underpays, requires way too much paperwork, and endlessly comes up with excuses not to pay you. It's ridiculous.

The paperwork part may be true, but in the years that I used it I never had a problem, nor did my doctors. It was slow for the first few claims, but after that fine. And I had many, many expensive claims for a long-lasting condition that finally ended in expensive surgery.

I did not have Medigap at the time, but I did have private insurance policy from my employer who picked up the very small unpaid balances from Medicare. They were a nightmare.....months before they paid, refusals, lost claims, etc. And these were for piddling amounts.

I thought Medicare was terrific, and my doctors never complained about it.

[Escort Rider]

Originally Posted by kevxu

The paperwork part may be true, but in the years that I used it I never had a problem, nor did my doctors. It was slow for the first few claims, but after that fine. And I had many, many expensive claims for a long-lasting condition that finally ended in expensive surgery.

I did not have Medigap at the time, but I did have private insurance policy from my employer who picked up the very small unpaid balances from Medicare. They were a nightmare.....months before they paid, refusals, lost claims, etc. And these were for piddling amounts.

I thought Medicare was terrific, and my doctors never complained about it.

And how many years ago was this? Things may have changed.