Thread: Medicare Implodes - Doctors Opt Out of Medicare at Alarming

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Medicare Implodes - Doctors Opt Out of Medicare at Alarming Rate; Fountain of Youth Sought

Doctors losing money doing "God's Work" in Medicare, are tired of the losses. Many refuse to take new patients. Others have thrown in the towel altogether.

The Houston Chronicle has the details in Texas doctors opting out of Medicare at alarming rate. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 09807.html

Texas doctors are opting out of Medicare at alarming rates, frustrated by reimbursement cuts they say make participation in government-funded care of seniors unaffordable.

Two years after a survey found nearly half of Texas doctors weren't taking some new Medicare patients, new data shows 100 to 200 a year are now ending all involvement with the program. Before 2007, the number of doctors opting out averaged less than a handful a year.

“This new data shows the Medicare system is beginning to implode,â€

Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas says “The problem has been how to eliminate the cuts without running up the deficit.â€