Due to many factors, but particularly the deficit reduction act (signed by Bush 2/8/06) Medicare was scheduled to have a 10% reduction in payment to physicians in 2008. I’ve mentioned this decrease in a previous post.

Medicare reimbursement barely covers the expenses associated with patient care and patient visits. CMS (the federal agency responsible for Medicare) also places genuinely onerous requirements on physicians who provide care to Medicare patients. Physicians must meet the requirements even if they don’t accept Medicare payments! Thus many physicians feel compelled to consider not accepting Medicare patients. Readers know that I tend to judge physicians rather harshly when they curtail medically-necessary services based on reimbursement. This is a rare instance when I can honestly say that continued participation in Medicare or Medicaid jeopardizes the practice of your physician. You physician cannot stay in business if he/she can’t pay the bills.

Fortunately congress has delayed the cuts.

But you can help now.
1) Call your congressman. Insist that the budget be balanced without affecting healthcare reimbursement.
2) Pay your co-pay or deductable up front (consider that the $3 co-pay will cost your physician $2 to process and bill you for- that $3 may have been his only profit for your 20 minute visit).
3) Assure that your physician only does testing/therapy that will positively affect your life. See previous post HERE.

Remember if your physician goes out of business the others will be financially strapped and even less likely to take you as a Medicare patient.