Doctors refusing to treat Medicare patients
Photo by 401(k) 2012/Flickr
An alarming number of physicians are saying no to Medicare, according to a paper from the National Center for Public Policy Research. The paper cites surveys that indicate 17% of doctors nationally are refusing to treat new Medicare patients, and the trend is even worse among primary care physicians who typically are the elderly’s first line of defense against disease and infirmity.
What is causing the exodus? Medicare’s bureaucratic payment structure and low rates are blamed. A primary care physician in Austin, Tex., for example, can expect $19.78 for a 10-15 minute visit with a patient, and must pay overhead—rent, equipment and staff—from that sum.
Short URL: http://reportergary.com/?p=26819
Posted by Gary
on Aug 20 2012. Filed under Breaking News, Health, US.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
This is a conservative think tank. Somehow putting the words “conservative” and “think” together in one sentence does not make much sense. I wonder if this group employs the same standards of expertise in its findings as that well known conservative Todd Akin employeed in his scientific observation regarding women and rape the other day.