Good luck, and the problem is about to get much worse. Thank declining physician reimbursements:
According to the Oregon Medical Association, 23.7 percent of primary care practices in the state are already closed to new Medicare patients, up from 11.8 percent in 2004. Only one in four of the physicians surveyed by the OMA said they would continue to accept new Medicare patients if rates went down as projected next year.
This is about “rich” doctors complaining about money, as I wrote in an op-ed in August. This is about sustaining a business, and you can’t practice medicine if you go bankrupt:
Jevnikar said physician’s practices are no different from other businesses, in that they have to pay for electricity, gas, water and staff salaries. Those costs could be difficult for smaller operations to manage if the reimbursements are cut.
“It’s really about practice expenditure and sustaining your bottom line as far as maintaining your business, or being able to stay in business to provide care.”
