Doctors refusing or removing patients from the Medicare program
On Friday, Congress passed a bill that would delay the 21% cut in reimbursement that is to go into effect for doctors that accept Medicare. Doctors, in response to these new cuts, are accepting fewer Medicare patients or removing themselves from the program all together.
This new surge to not accept Medicare is coming at a time when many baby boomers are getting ready to enter into the rolls of Medicare. Doctors across the country are frustrated by the new cuts to the program that they believe already underpays for their services. On average, Medicare only pays about 75% of what insurance companies pay.
Many doctors have removed themselves from the program or have limited the number of patients they will accept. Florida doctors are left in limbo, forced to accept the pay cuts because Medicare is a majority of their practice. Florida has the highest number of enrollees in the Medicare program.
Doctors have simply stated that they cannot afford to continue to lose money treating their patients. Failure of Medicare to cover the needed treatments or to pay their true costs is a failure in the system. Doctors cannot refuse to administer treatments because Medicare does not pay enough, that would leave them open to malpractice. However, if the doctors are forced to loose money on the treatment, they will eventually refuse to treat these patients at all.
Only time will tell if the baby boomers are going to be able to use the Medicare program or if they will incur private insurance expenses in their retirement. 
Well let’s just fund more WARS to make sure those evil doctors don’t get paid enough to take care of us.
Where is that debate?
Why don’t people realize that it’s war and so-called ‘defense’ dept. boondoggles that are robbing we boomers of our future health?
(Defense Dept. budget $1 trillion/yr.; Iraq and Afghanistan over $1 trillion each so far.)
OBAMA. Change is here!
Just this very morning I TRIED to get an appointment with a new Dr. and was informed I would NOT be accepted as a new patient because I have medicare and a suppliment. Thanks a lot government or lack of. Come on november.Maybe we can vote some of these unfeeling jerks out..