More Doctors to Turn Seniors Away: ‘Can’t Afford to Keep Losing Money’

President Obama Promised to ‘Strengthen Medicare and Extend the Life of That Program’:
 
“We agree on reforms that will finally reduce the costs of health care. Families will save on their premiums; businesses that will see their costs rise if we do nothing will save money now and in the future. This plan will strengthen Medicare and extend the life of that program. And because it gets rid of the waste and inefficiencies in our health care system, this will be the largest deficit reduction plan in over a decade. Now, I just want to repeat this because there's so much misinformation about the cost issue here. You talk to every health care economist out there and they will tell you that whatever ideas are -- whatever ideas exist in terms of bending the cost curve and starting to reduce costs for families, businesses, and government, those elements are in this bill.’” (Office of the Press Secretary, “Remarks by the President After Meeting with Senate Democrats,” whitehouse.gov, 12/15/2009)

RED ALERT: More Doctors Refuse New Medicare Patients as a Result of 21% Cut in Government Payments:

“The number of doctors refusing new Medicare patients because of low government payment rates is setting a new high, just six months before millions of Baby Boomers begin enrolling in the government health care program. Recent surveys by national and state medical societies have found more doctors limiting Medicare patients, partly because Congress has failed to stop an automatic 21% cut in payments that doctors already regard as too low. The cut went into effect Friday, even as the Senate approved a six-month reprieve. The House has approved a different bill… The federal health insurance program for seniors paid doctors on average 78% of what private insurers paid in 2008. ‘Physicians are saying, 'I can't afford to keep losing money,’’ says Lori Heim, president of the family doctors' group… The AARP, the nation's largest consumer group representing seniors, is taking notice. Some U.S. areas already face a shortage of primary care physicians. Policy director John Rother says the trend away from Medicare threatens to make it worse. ‘I'm making a statement,’ says Leah McCormack, a New York City dermatologist. ‘Many physicians are really being forced out of private practice.’” (Richard Wolf, “Doctors limit new Medicare patients,” USA Today, 6/21/2010)