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As Congress gets back to work this week, the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives have many issues on their desks, including if they should try to reduce Medicare cuts that went into effect July 1.
That issue seems to have become more urgent because of reports, such as one on Monday in The New York Times, that some doctors have decided to cut ties with potential patients because they have Medicare as their insurance.
The American Medical Association and doctors around the nation are blaming some in Congress for letting a 10.6 percent cut in payments for doctors who care for older Americans go into effect.
The House of Representatives, on a 355-29 vote, passed a bill before the Fourth of July break to prevent Medicare payments cuts, but the Senate hasn’t gotten into full swing because some lawmakers have blocked the bill. President Bush, who seems in favor of the cuts, has delayed new claims in hopes a compromise is reached.
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We’re sure those Americans in limbo hope this is solved quickly.
The question seems to be over the reimbursement formula, which is seen as outdated.
All of this has led some doctors to stop accepting new Medicare patients at this time. Others have changed who their practice serves. They see it as losing money, and like in any business, if they’re losing money, they’ll make changes to stop such a practice.
That doesn’t help Medicare patients. Those people now have fewer options when they need a doctor.
It’s even going to likely have an impact on those who use Tricare, which uses the Medicare fee schedule to pay doctors. If Medicare repayment fees are reduced, it, too, could cause military families, including those of retirees, to find it harder to find a doctor.
Is Congress “playing chicken” with health care, as the Military Officers Association of America recently said.
Congress has probably been playing “chicken” with health care for years, and the question now is who is going to flinch — the doctors or the lawmakers. It doesn’t seem either is ready to.
We hope one part of this equation isn’t forgotten in this debate: the patient. For fewer medical options from a government system doesn’t help those who need to get help.
Dont Forget King George wrote on Jul 11, 2008 5:29 AM: