Doctors Press Senate to Undo Medicare Cuts

As Congress returns to session this week the battle goes on regarding the Medicare pay cuts. Who needs the money the worst, the insurance companies or the doctors? My vote goes for the MDs. Why, because this will work a hardship and create access problems for seniors. A couple quotes from the article in the New York Times are listed below. The private practice as we have known for years is in jeopardy and with increased expenses, many will find it hard to keep the doors open, or at minimum to Medicare patients in the future. BD

WASHINGTON — Congress returns to work this week with Medicare high on the agenda and Senate Republicans under pressure after a barrage of radio and television advertisements blamed them for a 10.6 percent cut in payments to doctors who care for millions of older Americans.

“I love practicing medicine,” Dr. Richardson said, “but I would lose more money by keeping my office open than by pulling it back to a skeleton crew. Just like a physician in the emergency room, I try to reduce the hemorrhaging.”

In Topeka, Kan., Dr. Kent E. Palmberg, senior vice president and chief medical officer of the Stormont-Vail HealthCare system, said its 70 primary care doctors were “no longer accepting new Medicare patients as of July 1 because of the draconian cut in Medicare reimbursement.”