David Cutler, an adviser to the President stated in his analysis that “it costs far more to prolong the lives of the elderly ($145,000 per year gained) than the young ($31,600), and the rate of spending on the oldest Americans has grown the fastest.”
While it would be politically difficult to tell the elderly that we need to spend less on them, essentially we are- by slashing medicare reimbursement by 21%. This will place an undue burden on private physicians and healthcare facilities who are trying to make ends meet and still accept Medicare. According to the Center for Studying Health System Change, doctors currently rely on Medicare for 31% of their revenue. Despite all efforts, many of these doctors will be faced with the conflict of dropping Medicare to survive fiscally and abandoning older patients for whom treatment had previously been rendered.
The feared 21.3% reduction in Medicare is slated to take effect June 1 since the House and Senate Democrats failed to pass the legislation to stop it.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid buy ventolin in mexico Services once again, has instructed its carriers to delay June claim payments for the first 10 business days of the month so that if the cut is postponed, claims can be reimbursed at the current rate.
The thing is, unless the pay slash is averted, many healthcare providers will not only reject seniors but military families covered by TRICARE as well.
Conflict over Rates due to Deficit Spending Fears
The House Democrats proposed pay cut postponement until January 1, 2012,with increases in Medicare rates 2.2% for the rest of the year and 1% in 2011. However, Senate approval is needed to become law and they are lax to do so since they now want to curb deficit spending.
Originally the proposal suggested extension until January 1, 2014.
The next date that Congress will revisit this issue is June 7th. Hopefully they will come to their senses then. Healthcare reform can not be successful if physicians must close their offices and seniors can not get care.
This issue is aimed at you! We will all be affected!