Posted on 04/02/2010 2:44:33 PM PDT by STARWISE
It’s no joke for doctors that today marks the day that Medicare’s 21% reimbursement pay cuts were to go into effect.
Congress left for its Easter recess without voting to delay the scheduled April 1 start of lower payments to docs. The agency that oversees Medicare has effectively delayed the cuts by deciding not to pay claims for the first 10 business days in April. When Congress returns, it’s still expected to adopt another law to delay the cuts for longer, as it has done annually for years now.
So what does the delay in paying claims mean for doctors?
In the short-term, their cash flow shouldn’t be disrupted much, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Typically claims are paid no sooner than 14 calendar days anyway, so doctors shouldn’t see a dip in their income unless Congress fails to act with a new delay in the next two weeks, the agency says.
But the long-standing threat of Medicare cuts are weighing on doctors, say medical societies.
“It’s tough,” Andrew LaMar, spokesman for the California Medical Association, told the Health Blog. “Imagine if every month you didn’t know what your paycheck is going to be.”
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
I have two friends on Medicare and their experiences are different everytime.
Both my husband and I am also embarrassed to go to our drs. He has Parkinson’s, and an unusual adrenal problem (hyperaldosteronism). Both the nephrologist and his neurologist are so kind to him.
The neurologist, particularly, spends so much time with him when he gets checked every 8 weeks.
We hate what Medicare is doing to these docs, and we want to figure out some way to compensate them for what they are not being paid.
We have not been able to make our pay roll to physician on time the last 2 1/2 months. Plus my pay check is down 30%. If this keeps up I am going to have to moonlight in additon to my full time FP practice to pay my bills. I have been in practice for 17 years and this has NEVER happened. I think we are going to lay off at least 5 people this month. We can not keep this up. We actually had to borrow money to make pay roll in February.
and, please tell me if I am wrong here. We are not permitted to make an additional payment when we visit you for a check-up.
We are far from wealthy, with only a little saved, and hoping that social security and our children will fill in the gaps when the savings are gone.
BUT! We do not want our doctors to be punished because we are forced onto Medicare, and we absolutely believe that a doctor is providing a valuable service, and he deserves to be paid in full for the cost of our visit.
As it stands now, we are not allowed to pay anything to a doctor in cash to compensate him for his time, talent, and wisdom. I am wondering if I could offer beautifully hand-kint Aran sweaters if money can’t be taken.
Or, perhaps, a nice collectible coin for the start of a new hobby?
What would work? Do you have any ideas?
Call the .gov and ask them to increase payments. Or my idea is give physicians a tax break for taking care of .gov patients. I am afraid nothing is going to be done. I might add I have a full practice and take care of hospital and nursing home patients. I see 40 patients a day ( which is hard) and it seems like we are drowning and not even treading water anymore.
“Not every profession has to pay the outrageous malpractice insurance rates that docs do.”
Or pay for years of med school, etc. I in no way am bashing the doctor. Just that ALL of us need to be fighting this crap ALL the time. Obama, just like all Commies, is turning this into class warfare. The “rich” against the poor.
There was a thread about companies keeping lots of money in reserve due to fears of worse days ahead. Even some Freepers were saying “they shouldn’t have that money stashed away, they could be hiring people with that money”. And it will get worse before it gets better.
I think any gesture would be nice. Talk to the doc about it. Years ago I had an operation and thought the price was high, and asked my doc about it. He said “don’t let anyone tell you we don’t have socialized medicine already”. This was about the time of HillaryCare. He said in order to make up for those on medicare and for poor folks that just didn’t pay, he had to charge those that could pay and/or that had insurance more to make up the difference. (He thought my $4,000 operation should really be about $2500).
Of course that was years ago. I think things have gotten harder for the docs over the past several years, and it will be terrible for them (and us!) in the near future.
They’ve not done it with my Synthroid because I’ve been paying for it myself. I’m cleared to have TFL start paying their portion starting this month. We will have to fight to get them to cover the past 18 months. But they have changed my water pill on me, thankfully no difference. I too worry about any drugs made in third world countries, especially CHINA. Canada is ok, but that is as far as I’m willing to trust to imported meds.
I’m one of those ‘hard to treat’ patients because I react badly to so many different meds. My arthritis doc threw up his hands and said he could do anything for me. I have Osteo A in both hands, Osteo Porois in right hand, OA in 5 disc, and both feet from broken toes. To add insult to injury I have Fibromyalgia to boot. NEVER take Lyrica if you have arthritis, it attacks the joints and the pain is unbearable.
It also worries me that some doc don’t take the time to READ your med sheet they make you fill out, and then proceed to give you one of those drugs you react to. I have a sheet I print out and hand to them of what I take and what I react badly to. Saves time, hand pain, and you don’t forget something. If they don’t read it and call the drug by another name, you don’t know the difference and then you end up having a bad reaction that puts you out of commission for several days.
I'm very sensitive to most everything so I can start on 1/2 to 1/4 of the normal dose. My husband is the opposite. Many times the normal doesn't even register in his system. My concern is changing drs. I don't do that well, and the one I have now we have a good understanding of each other. That's a good thing most of the time. I'm trusting the Lord to guide me.
I did tone down some of my arthritis flare ups by cutting out acids, oj, tomato juice, less tomato soup, red meat(I still have some but not all the time.) I got shingles and had a bad flare with the arthritis that lasted about 8 or 10 weeks at least. Couldn't even knock on a door. but we're good now. Cortisone quarterly probably helps!
And Celestone causes the worst side effects for me, besides Lyrica. ALL arthritis drugs tear up my gastro intestinal tract, there is not enough Nexium to stop the acid reflux, never mind the bowel/bladder spasms, intestinal gas bubbles chronic constipation that they cause.
I found that 5 mg Valium with 1 eight hr tylenol lets me sleep at night for at least 5 hrs. Along with a trip to the hot tub for 15 mins. Which lowers my pain level. Diet doesn’t seem to make a difference for me.
Do what works. My husband has OA in his shoulders keeps him in constant pain, in places you usually don’t get it, he’s a retired Senior Chief, retired teacher. He had a partial knee replacement last June, and that OA pain is gone. recovery was swift never even used a cane, PT done at home. The doctor who does this procedure has patients come from as far away as Missouri, one even came from Minnesota all the way to Memphis, TN. He’s that good.
IF it gets to bad apply for disability, I had to. I was widowed at the time and couldn’t even support myself. But if you go that route, get a lawyer on the front end. They always turn you down the first time if you don’t. Having the lawyer on the front end helps. (learned that the hard way)
Tried it, didn’t work for me, Nexium handles it nicely as long as I stay off the arthur meds! I’ve also added 1 acidopholis (sp?) gold to my vit/mineral regime. Less calories than Activia. I get them from Walgreens or Krogers when they put them on sale buy 1 get 1 free and usually have a Nature’s Bounty coupon to boot.
Obama is such a liar. It’s the government that decided that the family practice physician gets a mere pittance and those physicians who perform procedures get reimbursed at a higher rate. The insurance companies followed.
I have friends who don’t even send bills to Medicaid. It cost them more to send a bill. They just perform all those services gratis.
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