Why Doctors Complain About Medicare & Medicaid?

[anthony d]

Will it get better or worse?

[Steve]

If they pass Vouchercare, it will only get worse.....for seniors.

[slpkntheretic666]

Because both are corrupt.

It will get worse trust me.

Obummer will only make it worse.

[Entropy]

According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, we face a shortfall of more than 150,000 doctors over the next 15 years. This shortfall, combined with skyrocketing demand due to demographics, third party payment, and other issues is why medical prices are skyrocketing. ObamaCare did not even attempt to solve these core issues and instead focussed on the SYMPTOM of coverage.

Estimates suggest that on average physicians are reimbursed at roughly 78% of costs under Medicare, and just 70% of costs under Medicaid. ObamaCare is going to increase the number of people on Medicare. That is how they got rid of the public option, they just assume Medicare will pick up the tab and eventually people will advocate for something better than medicare since Medicare is a lousy program.

Roughly 40% of doctors are age 55 or over. Are they really going to want to stick it out for a few more years if all they have to look forward to is more red tape (both government and insurance company) for less money? Remember, the average medical school graduate begins their career with more than $295,000 in debt.

A 2010 IBD/TPP Poll found that 45% of doctors would at least consider leaving their practices or taking early retirement as a result of the new health care law. And, an online survey by Sermo.com, a sort of Facebook for physicians, found that 26% of physicians in solo practices were considering closing

In fact, we have already seen the start of this process in Massachusetts, where Mitt Romney's health care reforms were nearly identical to President Obama's. Romney's reforms increased the demand for health care but did nothing to expand the supply of physicians. In fact, by cracking down on insurance premiums, Massachusetts pushed insurers to reduce their payments to providers, making it less worthwhile for doctors to expand their practices. As a result, the average wait to get an appointment with a doctor grew from 33 days to over 55 days.

[linlyons]

It will get worse.
Every year, the government lowers the amount doctors get paid for each specific procedure.
And the cost of doing business continues to increase.
Quite a number of doctors won't accept medicaid patients because they lose money on them.

That said, the idea of getting rid of either, or both, and replacing them with vouchers, which, if history is any teacher at all, will be reduced every year, is ludicrous. That still leaves patients at the mercy of insurance companies who will increase premiums every year, and continue to deny payment.

[slew]

It doesn't really pay for real care. The doctors who actually make money really don't do any real work. They pay by visits/ What tehy do is drag people in and see them and then kick them out, or not even see them and have there assistant look at them and do the work. The last one is illegal. I see alot of Medicare fraud and abuse. The problem is that people who won't steal from individuals are far more likely to steal from teh government.

addition. Medicare in the past delay payments to make moeny off the interest. They disguise it as looking for fraud. alot of medical companies went bankrupot because of it.

[Big One 0909]

They complain a little about Medicare, a LOT about Medicaid. Same reason, they do not pay their bills,,,,on time for Medicare, at all for Medicaid.
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Obama's plan takes half a trillion from Medicare and gives it to Medicaid, so Medicare will absolutely get worse, and the bureaucrats will find a way to waste the new money in Medicaid so that it will probably not get any better.

[jamie]

because the system does not work and costs to much..

[MIKE L]

They have to submit claims multiple times and hopefully 6 months later the twits
in washington will send them the money .Medicare and Medicaid is the biggest insurance
in the USA and Obama is the Head CEO of it. Go figure?

[Sugar]

Because they have to wait on their money to come in.