Texas Doctors Warning of a 'Medicare Meltdown'

Texas Doctors Warning of a 'Medicare Meltdown'

Medicare, TriCare patients are increasingly unable to find a doctor willing to treat them

By Jim Forsyth

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Texas seniors may find it more difficult to find a primary care physician or a specialist willing to deal with their health issues, due to what the Texas Medical Association ominously refers to as a 'Medicare Meltdown' in the state, 1200 WOAI news reports.

 

  "More and more physicians are deciding that they simply cannot keep seeing Medicare patients, and keep their offices running," TMA President Dr. Susan Bailey tells 1200 WOAI news.

  The 'meltdown' also affects patients who rely on TriCare, the military's health care system.

  The problem, Bailey says, is the inability of Congress to come up with a permanent solution to Medicare re-imbursements to physicians.  She says twice so far this year, doctors have seen the money they receive for treating Medicare patients slashed by 21%.  The funding is always replaced, but Bailey says that's no way to run a business.

  "Twice this year, physicians have sustained 21% cuts in their Medicare reimbursement," Dr. Bailey says.

  She says Texas is one of the states which has been designated as an 'access hot spot,' indicating patients are increasingly finding it difficult to find physicians.  A recent TMA survey reveals more than one third of Texas physicians say they already have to limit the number of new Medicare patients they see.

  Bailey says there are 2.9 million Medicare recipients in Texas, and more than 86,000 military families insurance by TriCare.

  Adding to the problem, Bailey says, is the fact that 41% of primary care physicians in Texas are over age 50, the age when doctors generally start reducing how many patients they see anyway.

  And the problem is even worse in rural areas, which have suffered from a general patient shortage for years.

  "Medicare reimbursement for physicians has been ratcheting down for years, and unfortunately the new health care law did not do anything to fix the Medicare payment formula," Dr. Bailey says.

  She says another cut in doctor reimbursement sis expected December 1, and since Congress found it more important to adjourn to campaign for re-election than to fix the problems before it, that cut is expected to again hit doctors hard.