The reason the cut is so large is because of the accumulation of such “patches” which have rendered moot that attempt to rein in the growth in physician payments.
Here’s what I think: Since the Medicare scales set the standard for private insurance reimbursement rates, that doctors who refuse to treat patients under those remuneration schedules will cease to be doctors at all. They will have no patients, and will need to get another job. I doubt that they will do so.
If you want to rein in the deficits, doctors are going to have to take a cut, that’s all there is to it. Could share the pain with the lawyers by executing on tort reform.
You are jack-boot, Big Government socialist who wants to dictate behavior. If I am a doctor who is losing on every Medicare case I treat, then there is no way I put myself out of business by going bankrupt. I guess the other alternative is to raise the rates on those not covered by Medicare. FYI: 45% of doctors don't accept Medicaid patients because its reimbursement rate is even less than Medicaid. The government is the one responsible for screwing up our health care system. We would be much better letting the market work and turning Medicare and Medicaid into premium support systems.
If you want to rein in the deficits, doctors are going to have to take a cut, that’s all there is to it. Could share the pain with the lawyers by executing on tort reform.
Yeah right you Socialist b#astard. Let's redistribute the wealth and force the doctors to treat patients they lose money on.