Posted on 11/27/2010 7:17:28 AM PST by SumProVita
From the right-wing extremists at the Washington Post:
Want an appointment with kidney specialist Adam Weinstein of Easton, Md.? If you’re a senior covered by Medicare, the wait is eight weeks.
How about a checkup from geriatric specialist Michael Trahos? Expect to see him every six months: The Alexandria-based doctor has been limiting most of his Medicare patients to twice yearly rather than the quarterly checkups he considers ideal for the elderly. Still, at least he’ll see you. Top-ranked primary care doctor Linda Yau is one of three physicians with the District’s Foxhall Internists group who recently announced they will no longer be accepting Medicare patients.
“It’s not easy. But you realize you either do this or you don’t stay in business,” she said.
Recall that these steep cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates are the way in which the Obama administration was able to claim that a) Obamacare cost less than a trillion dollars and b) it would bend the cost curve. In fact, the administration now has a stark choice between instituting the “doc fix” which would rescind the Medicare cuts or welcoming in the era of decreased access and rationing via long wait times. They don’t have long. The rate cuts to Medicare reimbursement are set to begin December 1st.
(Excerpt) Read more at verumserum.com ...
Will seniors still be able to get health care if they simply pay the doctors in cash?
My doc says every 6 months. I say “when I get sick or my blood pressure changes from “my norm”.
The physicians cannot accept cash from those patients. If they do they will be fined. Second offense means prison. Nice, huh?
Like always, the rate cuts will be waived. The joke is that the CBO figures to calculate the costs of Obamacare had to assume that the cuts were going to made even though everyone knew that they never are implemented.
But there's no death panels!
Most specialists, dental and medical, have waiting lists, and that has nothing to do with Medicare.
Last year, I had to see an endodonist. The earliest appointment I could get was nearly 3 months. Luckily, they had a cancellation the next week, and I got the appointment if I could get to the endodonist's office within a hour (I live 30 miles away). I took the appointment.
Perhaps a few. There remains, however, a general sense of helplessness or “I may not like it, but what can one person do about it” attitude among the populace.
And, of course, that’s just what the arrogant bureaucrats want us to believe. HCAHPS - as currently structured - is the TSA of healthcare.
I’ll be eligible for Medicare next year. What if I don’t sign up and keep my private insurance plan...?
How is this not a blog?
I’ve read a few articles recently that said the same thing they are not accepting new medicare patients think how bad that will get as more people join the program yikes.
“I got the appointment if I could get to the endodonist’s office within a hour (I live 30 miles away). I took the appointment.”
...that happens with me a lot too...luckily, I’m retired and can drop everything and jump in the car....health care professionals all seem so busy these days...you take what you can get...and btw, because I know my face time with the doc is tightly scheduled; I take a list of questions in with me....worse thing in the world is to remember that I forgot to ask him something on the drive home.
I really don’t know about that. What I do know is physicians face prison if they take cash or any form of payment. No wonder many of them are planning on retiring. I know some who are saving every penny they can right now because they will be quitting when the rationing gets worse.
the cuts in Medicare Are already forcing practices to limit the age of new patience. The British medical system for seniors first.
I’m not medicare yet but usually have to wait 6-8 weeks to see my ob/gyn. I opted this last time for the nurse practitioner. Just have to plan ahead.
That doesn't deal with the situation of some doctors and practices not taking Medicare at all. If your doctor is one of those, the decision is much harder.
Your private plan may have something to say about it? Why would they continue that expense if you are elegible for Medicare?
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