This gets a little confusing as both the Medicare Physician pay cuts and e-Prescribing have been rolled together of late. What is staring physicians right in the face is the 10% Medicare pay cut on July 1st, that’s right, less than a month away. The patients will be the ultimate losers here, as more physicians will not take any new Medicare patients or perhaps some might not continue and refer patients to other physicians who will continue to see them. Again, the Bush administration once again is threatening to veto.
The e-Prescribing tie in would not take place until the year 2011, which gives ev
eryone adequate time to prepare and begin. There’s a service available for free-Prescribing and the link is found permanently on this page. This is a good move as everyone can make their adjustments and purchases if necessary.
On another blog, one physician provides this statement after a visit to Washington:
“This year I'm afraid it might be different. I went to Washington and met with Senators and Representatives two weeks ago. Everyone was really nice and helpful, but the response was, "We'd like to help you doc, but how are we gonna pay for reversing your cuts?" The problem is known as "offsets." Funny how that isn't an issue when it comes to Iraq, or Economic Stimulus packages.”
Sounds like they wanted the physicians to come up with a suggestion as to where Congress could find the funds. Will there come a time when our leaders might consider a pro-active instead of a defensive approach? The last program created by the government I believe was Medicare, so it’s time for a new plan. Create a revenue source that would be large enough for all to contribute and have the revenue to cover all, like perhaps a national sale tax of a few pennies. If a new source of revenue is not created, then it continues in the same path with health care and the people who serve us getting less and less, and when it gets to the point of not enough to pay the bills, then like any other individual, they look for other ways to provide for their living and families as well.
Of recent, there have been several articles on the web that state exactly this. What is sad to see and say, it appears this drawing to an end of the small practice that many of us have depended on for years, and to continue to practice medicine, many will have to take a 9 to 5 position with a large managed care company and subject to what ever contract they may offer. BD
Baucus' bill would halt a scheduled 10.6% cut to Medicare physician payments and institute a 0.5% increase in the payments for next year, among several other provisions. On Thursday, Baucus is scheduled to meet with physician groups to discuss the legislation.
Democrats Seek Support From Moderate Republicans On Sen. Baucus' Medicare Package
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