21% Medicare reimbursement cut goes into effect April 1st (Congress, drugs, lawyers)

[azriverfan.]

AMA - Congressional Inaction Means Seniors, Military Face Health

Great, all this is going to do is hurt seniors as doctors are going to stop accepting Medicare patients beginning April 1st. Funny, our polticians protect drug companies and allow them to charge astronomical rates for drugs. They protect lawyers and don't enact a federal policy limiting punitive damages. However, they try to hurt the very people who are providing health care and improving the lives of people.

[AuDiBelle]

It goes into effect because Obama didn't want it to be included in his HCR package... the doc fix would make the numbers reflect the truer cost of several hundred billion additional dollars.

I could be mistaken, but I thought you liked the HCR bill even though it didn't include the doc fix?

[HappyTexan]

It's part of the waste and fraud that's being cut to pay for the new and improved healthcare.

[florida.bob]

You may want some facts about this, perhaps taking note of who stopped the bill to prevent it.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/719321

[Peggy Anne]

I'm finding a witch doctor. He can blow smoke with the best of them......and may even take cash. It's a gamble, no matter what we do.

[padcrasher]

Change is difficult.

Find a way to treat more patients to make up for the difference.

That's life.

The auto industry went through it. The airline industry went through it. Travel agents went through it. Life insurance sales people adapted. Buggy whip manufactures delt with it.

I'm sure there is a line out the door of candidates hoping to become a doctor.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by padcrasher

Change is difficult.

Find a way to treat more patients to make up for the difference.

That's life.

The auto industry went through it. The airline industry went through it. Travel agents went through it. Life insurance sales people adapted. Buggy whip manufactures delt with it.

I'm sure there is a line out the door of candidates hoping to become a doctor.

Only if they can afford the $100K+ it takes to get through school.
But we do have H1B to fall back on.

[padcrasher]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

Only if they can afford the $100K+ it takes to get through school.
But we do have H1B to fall back on.

Demand for medical schools slots far exceeds supply. It's been like this for decades.

[kovert]

Question.

Is this a cut to medicare proper or to medicare advantage?

"the Medicare Advantage program — might suffer a dilution or elimination of the extra benefits they get that other beneficiaries do not.

To help them compete against the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program, Congress granted these plans large overpayments, essentially subsidies. Most are required to use part of the subsidy to reduce charges to their beneficiaries or to add extra benefits, such as vision and dental benefits, or even gym memberships.

This often makes them a better deal for beneficiaries. But it is unfair to force those enrolled in traditional Medicare to help foot the bill — currently $43 a year extra for each participant — to help subsidize the private plans. Federal taxpayers have contributed heavily as well."

[padcrasher]

I live three doors down from Cranio-facial Surgeon. His wife drives a 7 Series BMW, the have a 5000 square foot brand new Mediteranian style house. In an exlusive neighboorhood. They own a medical office building and a home in the Cayman Islands.

I just wonder how they will make after Obamacare kicks in?

Did anybody see the movie The Jerk with Steve Martin where this Texan in a cowboy hat comes in a starts crying because the leather seats on his Lear jet were starting to dry out and crack and he didn't have the money for repairs?