Doctors brace for possible big Medicare pay cuts
 

I never realized just how much the docs received from Medicare until my surgery in May of this year. When the EOB arrived I looked. The hospital received full payment, the surgeon received about 30% of the charge which I didn't feel was a too high charge for his time consider he spent 4 hours on my repair job. So, what can this mean for those of use who use Medicare? Currently I can see any doc I choose, ONLY because I have a supplemental plan with United Heathcare. So, will these proposed cuts mean that I may not have the accessibility I currently have?

Doctors brace for possible big Medicare pay cuts

The Washington Post, By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, The Associated Press, Saturday, November 13, 2010; 12:16 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...111202811.html

The scheduled cuts - the result of a failed system set up years ago to control costs - have raised alarms that real damage to Medicare could result if the lame-duck Congress winds up in a partisan standoff and fails to act by Dec. 1. That's when an initial 23 percent reduction would hit.

Neither Democrats nor newly empowered Republicans want the sudden cuts, but there's no consensus on how to stave them off. The debate over high deficits complicates matters, since every penny going to make doctors whole will probably have to come from cuts elsewhere. A reprieve of a few months may be the likeliest outcome. That may not reassure doctors.

glue giving way
 

there's going to be a "happening". just don't know what that will be but the dems and republicans are going to lead us into less than what we are without major changes immediately. We're going to end up with Pres. Sarah Palin. I'd be surprised, but not too, i'd be scared but so glad to escape the incompetence and hypocrisy we have now. we are all, regardless of party, fed up with the BS we are fed.

this is a perfect example. That'll work - cut elderly and disabled medical benefits and make them work till they drop dead. Big money saver there. Welcome to our new world order.

Excuse me I have to go spit.

We are slaves to this very system thru all the credit cards waving under our noses and by making it so easy to go into debt. People used to walk away bankrupt for the right reasons and as a last resort.

Debt is the only reason i don't leave the country or at least the mainland. We are all slaves to it.

Solution according to this article is, after making sure you blame someone else from the past, as if the radical changes that have taken place haven't compounded and multiplied the problems, to mess with medicare and make people work too long to qualify later. These people have medical conditions by then. It' s evil.

Debt is the new buzz word..who cares anymore if they have bad credit It's just as much the lenders fault but they don't blame the lenders for our debt. We are supposed to know better. Well obviously that isn't the case and we give in and buy things - but we don't steal.

what to do? vote for anyone to unseat the president? anyone? Before you know it we are going to elect sarah palin or someone she supports into office and libertarians on the supreme court. i wonder if they could do a better job? maybe it's their turn.

congress doesn't know what they are doing...well isn't the' plan' to create chaos? everything is going as planned but not by the people nor by the plan we thought.

But the solution is to increase taxes on small businesses, everything is going to go up like it is in europe; not in 2014 but by spring of 2011. and cut medicare.

chaos - and the next step is?

an economic collapse. we built this city......but there is nothing like that holding younger generations together. What a mean world they have to live in. what bonds hold them together politically or nationally?

medicare cuts- we pay, they spend. something has gotta give.

ok zippin it. i hate when they pick on the sick and the little guy.

The problem with this govt, both parties, is that it is not about "the people"..It is about "the money"

During this economic debacle, the middle class has gotten much poorer while the mega rich have gotten wealthier. Financial institutions and car manufacturers, airlines have recovered and are making money. We, the little people, the sick and disabled are left to dig out and pay for the squandering of money.

I say, arise, rebel and let's feed the ultra rich daily mirapex so that they will spend, spend, spend their own money (as we have none to give).

Sarah Palin.....as pre...prez....prezz....I can't even say it.

TG

lol........

Changing the healthcare system means just more than regulating insurance companies, which the healthcare bill failed to do. They need tighter regulation on the FDA, and a law needs passed that prohibit power brokers from influencing congressional voting. If they got rid of the lobbyists, they can then start on the partisan bullcrap that plagues this country. George Washington himself warned against political parties. Now we know why.

also missing: tort reform
 

Part of any reform must include tort reform. Absent, of course, from the huge healthcare bill passed...too many lawyers, both sides, don't want this, they both profit from medical malpractice claims. And lawyers are some of the best lobbyists and have no problem getting their voices heard.:mad:

I think it is importand to judge exactly how much bang for our current buck we are getting before we decided where we stand.

1. The US spends 14.6% of GDP on health care, with Germany at 10.9%, Canada 9.6%, Australia 9.5%, France and the UK 7.7%.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/he...xpenditure-gdp

2.Life expectancy in the US is 78.2 years ranking us 38th. Australia is 5th at 81.1 years, France is 10th at 80.7, Canada 11th at 80.7, and the UK and Germany 20th at 79.4.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ife_expectancy

3. Infant mortality rates for the US are 6.3 per 1000 live births ranking us 33rd. France 12th at 4.2, Germany 14th at 4.2, Australia 17th at 4.4, the UK 22nd at 4.8 and Canada 23rd at 4.8.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...mortality_rate

The above countries are often held up to us as examples of what we do not want to be. It is estimated that 15% of our population is uninsured and an additional 35% is underinsured and yet we spend more per person on health care than any other country in the world.
Still we insist we have the best health care in the world. Not according to the above and probably not at all. Before we turn thumbs down on a new system maybe we should look very closely at whether or not we're getting our money's worth to make sure we are voting against our own best interests. Isn't it possible there is a better way?

http://www.truth-out.org/article/the...t-medical-care

Pam,

It's not what they are trying to do - it's how they do it. It's too long to even read and the vote was taken without most reading it.

But the real problem is the congress and white house. They are tribal and bringing the whole country down mentally, physically and economically. Oh and don't forget wall street.....another tribe.

paula