When you switch to Medicare

July 30, 2007

Why physicians are closing the door on Medicare patients:

What you soon-to-be Medicare patients don’t realize is that when you turn 65, your doctor automatically gets paid about 30% on average less money for the exact same office visit with you, compared to when you didn’t have Medicare. And it’s illegal for you or your doctor to negotiate any fee higher than “Medicare allowable.” How many doctors with full practices will be anxious to add new Medicare patients into their slots, which could be filled with non-Medicare patients paying 30% more for the exact same work? The answer is, Not Many, and therein lies a huge problem most people nearing 65 aren’t even aware of.



Related posts:

  1. The Medicare cuts are coming
  2. Finding a doctor who accepts Medicare
  3. Bait and switch
  4. Dropping Medicare patients
  5. We should send this to Pete Stark
  6. Medicare cuts: A 6-month stay of execution
  7. What happens if the safety net clinics start refusing to see Medicare or Medicaid patients?


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