Two bills have just been put forward regarding Medicare- #2170 in the Senate and #4452 in the House. Each requires healthcare providers including doctors to accept 110% of Medicare rates for health insurance or risk loss of their license.
Besides Medicare, doctors would be forced to accept all patients from other insurance plans offered by that same insurer.
While the purpose of these proposals is to try to decrease health care costs for small businesses it will fail miserably.
First, the bills do not differentiate between primary care providers and specialists who tend to increase costs. Both are penalized equally. Nor do these bills require private insurers to pass on savings to employers. The end result is likely to be a net loss of physicians to nearby states and many who join the increasing buying ventolin in spain ranks of physicians who have cash only practices.
Certain questions now arise. Will physicians who refuse to accept lower rates lose their licenses? What about employees of private health clinics? Will they now have to quit or risk the threat of licensure loss?
Yet again, the savings will not be going to either the patients, physicians or employers of small business. While we continue to feel the squeeze, it is the insurance companies that will glean a windfall.
In a misguided attempt to reform healthcare, will physicians quit practicing in droves and find a different career- one that is rewarding both emotionally and fiscally? How about making the insurance executives feel the pinch?
If we are to reform the system, let’s do it the right way. What are your thoughts?
