Massive Medicare Pay Cut Will Take Effect April 1
Now, you may be wondering how this will effect those who have Medicare as a primary insurance, or those who have Tricare. Well, this is how it works. A physician charges 200 for a complete physical, will say. When the claim is submitted, Medicare will approve somewhere around 75 for the procedure. This physician is a participating provider with Medicare, which means he will accept what Medicare approves.
With this new legislation, Medicare may now only approve 50 for this procedure. The physician loses money in the deal, which makes him start to think is it worth it to accept patients who's primary insurance coverage is Medicare? As I am on disability, this affects me, because I don't want to lose my primary care physician. However, a physician has to look at many factors concerning his practice. His insurance, for medical malpractice, liability on his employees, payroll, membership fees, license fees, let's just say a lot of overhead. And, he has to make a living doing what he has spent thousands upon thousands of dollars to learn to do.
The reason Tricare would be affected is they use basically the same principles as Medicare. Will the purchase of a Medicare Supplement Plan help offset some of these expenses? Probably not, as that plan, while giving Medicare patients more choices in coverage, ultimately still follows the Medicare billing procedures.
I think this is really going to hurt a lot of seniors, disabled people, and families of military people in the long run. Finding the doctor who accepts your insurance is going to be the problem. Even if the planned offset to October is achieved, it's going to happen sometime.
What were they thinking?
Now, you may be wondering how this will effect those who have Medicare as a primary insurance, or those who have Tricare. Well, this is how it works. A physician charges 200 for a complete physical, will say. When the claim is submitted, Medicare will approve somewhere around 75 for the procedure. This physician is a participating provider with Medicare, which means he will accept what Medicare approves.
With this new legislation, Medicare may now only approve 50 for this procedure. The physician loses money in the deal, which makes him start to think is it worth it to accept patients who's primary insurance coverage is Medicare? As I am on disability, this affects me, because I don't want to lose my primary care physician. However, a physician has to look at many factors concerning his practice. His insurance, for medical malpractice, liability on his employees, payroll, membership fees, license fees, let's just say a lot of overhead. And, he has to make a living doing what he has spent thousands upon thousands of dollars to learn to do.
The reason Tricare would be affected is they use basically the same principles as Medicare. Will the purchase of a Medicare Supplement Plan help offset some of these expenses? Probably not, as that plan, while giving Medicare patients more choices in coverage, ultimately still follows the Medicare billing procedures.
I think this is really going to hurt a lot of seniors, disabled people, and families of military people in the long run. Finding the doctor who accepts your insurance is going to be the problem. Even if the planned offset to October is achieved, it's going to happen sometime.
What were they thinking?
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1 comment:
Oh, I agree, it will benefit many people, especially low to middle income people who have no insurance at all! But, what I am trying to say is that everyone may have insurance, but not every doctor will accept it.
I can understand the fees imposed on tanning salons, uv rays are uv rays, no matter where they come from, and cause most skin cancers. But, some of the other ones? Will they actually be enforced? I don't know.
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