Democrats Introduce Medicare Expansion at Age 55

[Residentzombie]

What is your source of information on that statement?

Common sense. Adding 2,000,000 people into the Medicare claims database is going to increase the claims paid out by Medicare and would require Medicare to spend more money which it doesn't have.

If you are referring to my statement about doctors hating the Medicare fee schedule, just turn on the news. Many parts of the country doctors are limiting the amount of Medicare patients that they will see due to the fee schedule being so low. Here is just 2 of 100 videos about the subject:

 

[Todd King]

Common sense. Adding 2,000,000 people into the Medicare claims database is going to increase the claims paid out by Medicare and would require Medicare to spend more money which it doesn't have.

I read your statement as saying more and more doctors are not accepting Medicare Assignment due to the schedule of fees that doctors are paid from, meaning it isn't enough money for the doctors and so they opt out.

I just re-read it again and it sure seems that's what you are trying to say.

How are increased claims even part of the determination of a doctor whether to accept Medicare Assignment or not? That makes no sense.

 

[jdeasy]

Common sense. Adding 2,000,000 people into the Medicare claims database is going to increase the claims paid out by Medicare and would require Medicare to spend more money which it doesn't have.

If you are referring to my statement about doctors hating the Medicare fee schedule, just turn on the news. Many parts of the country doctors are limiting the amount of Medicare patients that they will see due to the fee schedule being so low. Here is just 1 of 100 videos about the subject: Doctors opt out of Medicare - YouTube I am on Medicare, Doctors do not want to see me, why do Physicians refuse Medicare patients - YouTube

Doctors can't limit the amount of original Medicare patients they will see. They don't have to accept Medicare at all but they cannot be selective about the ones they will see if they chose to accept medicare.

Of course doctors are going to whine about their pay. What segment of society doesn't?

 

[Residentzombie]

Doctors can't limit the amount of original Medicare patients they will see. They don't have to accept Medicare at all but they cannot be selective about the ones they will see if they chose to accept medicare.

Of course doctors are going to whine about their pay. What segment of society doesn't?

Wrong doctors can and ARE limiting the amount of Medicare patients they will see. It may not be happening in your area yet, but this doesn't mean it isn't happening. Over 90% of doctors accept Medicare assignment, but the way some doctors are avoiding Medicare reimbursement is by extremely limiting the amount of Medicare patients that they see. This is a very smart strategy on their part, because when doctors refuse new Medicare patients it makes the news and the general public becomes aware of how bad Medicare pays physicians.

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I read your statement as saying more and more doctors are not accepting Medicare Assignment due to the schedule of fees that doctors are paid from, meaning it isn't enough money for the doctors and so they opt out.

I just re-read it again and it sure seems that's what you are trying to say.

How are increased claims even part of the determination of a doctor whether to accept Medicare Assignment or not? That makes no sense.

Increased claims was in reference to Medicare spending more money if people 55 and older got onto Medicare.

The fee schedule was to educate other agents about the terrible reimbursement rates for Medicare claims to make you guys understand why expanding Medicare to people age 55 could be the death nail for the Medicare program. Also the ACA created Medicare 'bounty hunter' claim auditors that work off commissions and audit old Medicare claims looking for fraud, waste, and abuse. This is why hospitals are now putting more and more Medicare patients under 'observation' outpatient instead of admitting as an inpatient stay and thus disallowing Skilled Nursing coverage under Medicare due to the 3 midnight rule Medicare has for Skilled Nursing benefits.

 

[Chazm]

It's either a doctor takes Medicare or he doesn't. You're just trying to create fear.
I'd love to hear your talks to your Medicare clients. They must be crying by the time you leave/hang up

 

[sman]

Doctors can't limit the amount of original Medicare patients they will see. They don't have to accept Medicare at all but they cannot be selective about the ones they will see if they chose to accept medicare.

Of course doctors are going to whine about their pay. What segment of society doesn't?

I don't think he's stating that doctors are saying they pick and choose among Medicare patients. What he's saying is many doctors are stating they will not accept NEW patients who are on Medicare. I see it on a fairly regular basis. If a person is a current patient of a particular doctor, they typically can continue seeing that doctor after they go on Medicare (the doctor can make that decision). But if they try and see a new doctor and are on Medicare, some doctors are telling them "no thanks, we aren't accepting any NEW patients who are on Medicare". And that is perfectly within their rights to do so.

 

[jdeasy]

Wrong doctors can and ARE limiting the amount of Medicare patients they will see. It may not be happening in your area yet, but this doesn't mean it isn't happening. Over 90% of doctors accept Medicare assignment, but the way some doctors are avoiding Medicare reimbursement is by extremely limiting the amount of Medicare patients that they see. This is a very smart strategy on their part, because when doctors refuse new Medicare patients it makes the news and the general public becomes aware of how bad Medicare pays physicians. Doctors No Longer Accepting Medicare Patients in North Carolina - YouTube Access to Doctors Shrinks for Some Medicare Patients - YouTube

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Increased claims was in reference to Medicare spending more money if people 55 and older got onto Medicare.

The fee schedule was to educate other agents about the terrible reimbursement rates for Medicare claims to make you guys understand why expanding Medicare to people age 55 could be the death nail for the Medicare program. Also the ACA created Medicare 'bounty hunter' claim auditors that work off commissions and audit old Medicare claims looking for fraud, waste, and abuse. This is why hospitals are now putting more and more Medicare patients under 'observation' outpatient instead of admitting as an inpatient stay and thus disallowing Skilled Nursing coverage under Medicare due to the 3 midnight rule Medicare has for Skilled Nursing benefits.

I said "original medicare". And they cannot limit those. They can chose to not take MA plans.

They cannot limit original medicare patients if they accept medicare

 

[Residentzombie]

It's either a doctor takes Medicare or he doesn't. You're just trying to create fear.
I'd love to hear your talks to your Medicare clients. They must be crying by the time you leave/hang up

In SE Wisconsin, we don't have this problem because we have 8 major hospital facilities all competing for patients. I simply tell my clients that over 90% of doctors accept Medicare assignment and that isn't a major issue, but what is starting to become an issue is that doctors are starting to deny seeing new Medicare patients and they are limiting the amount of Medicare patients they will see due to low compensation from the government. I also advise every supplement purchaser to add the excess charges rider onto their base policy since this may become more common in the near future due to Medicare's low reimbursement rate for doctors and hospitals. I don't try to scare anyone, but I also tell seniors the truth about Medicare and why these issues exist with Medicare and physicians.

Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Minnesota don't use the alphabet soup supplement system and we use the base policy with optional riders. We have the Part A deductible rider, the Part A co-insurance rider, the Part B deductible rider, the Part B co-pay rider, the excess charges rider, the foreign travel rider, and the home health rider. This allows for more customization, and in Wisconsin seniors can add the excess charges rider to a Part B co-pay rider unlike Plan N which doesn't allow for excess charges to be covered.

Yes government health insurance is terrible for both consumers (coverage limitations) and doctors (low reimbursement). Anyone who thinks that expanding Medicare is a good idea to people age 55 and older is a moron and doesn't understand this industry.

 

[somarco]

Actually they can.

As Scott pointed out (#16) docs may choose to limit the number of NEW patients on Medicare. Several ways to do that. One is to tell the new pt they have a waiting list and will call them when an opening arises.

I have clients who did not have a doc and had to call around to find one.

 

[sman]

I said "original medicare". And they cannot limit those. They can chose to not take MA plans.

They cannot limit original medicare patients if they accept medicare

This is news to me. I've had several clients tell me a doctor's office told them they weren't accepting any NEW Medicare patients.

And according to this nearly two year old survey, 21% of PCP's were accepting Medicare, but not NEW Medicare patients. Meaning they are limiting how many Medicare patients they see.

Primary Care Physicians Accepting Medicare: A Snapshot | The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Are you stating 21% of PCP's are breaking the law?