Physicians are getting dead serious about not taking Medicare patients

Since 11-08-05

From: Waspscpo@aol.com [mailto:Waspscpo@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 12:20 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Fwd: Physicians are getting dead serious about not taking Medicare patients.

On 7 November 2005, BGEN Bob Clements, USAF, ret writes:

Subj: Physicians are getting dead serious about not taking Medicare patients.
Date: 11/7/2005 9:12:48 PM Eastern Standard Time From: p38bob@deepwell.com
 Sent from the Internet (Details)

Physicians are getting dead serious about not taking Medicare patients. The rising costs of medical care are not due to the fees physicians charge but are due rather to administrative costs. Personnel costs are ballooning...Bureaucracies are ballooning ....

The funny part is Medicare is raising the reimbursement to hospitals for Medicare patients and the irony is that without doctors to admit them, where are they going to get the source of revenue to keep them in business. Same in the military. Top heavy administration` with every one attending costly Tricare meetings with the MTFs beginning to look like cemeteries with lights. That is the product of Tricare contractors driving patients downtown to network doctors who are also rebelling because their fees are based on Medicare fees less the booty the contractors extort. Don't forget this all started with the Clinton administration saying that doctors are too damn dumb to run a health care business and took the medical budget away from the line and gave it to the Assistant Secretary of Defense( Health Affairs).

So with all the tremendous knowledge and supposed expertise they brought to the program why are they all bitching in the DOD about the costs of medical care... So much for promised medical care for serving a full career in the military. This is going to impact recruiting and retention big time, in fact, it has already started.

First class medical care is not cost effective. You get exactly what you pay for. If you want first class care, ask your doctor who they and their family go to.

Speaking of freedom, the only obstacle between freedom and the guarantees of our Constitution is the US Military. That is also true of national emergencies when the rubber meets the road and smokes. What is difficult to comprehend are the dummies who due not realize this from the Congress right on down to the yip pees who want their freedom fought for by the other person.

In my books, that is the definition of a coward. Oh yes and "Promises Made Are Promises Kept" Without the military there would be no professional politicians except one. Just like they have in North Korea and had in Iraq. And those yo yos aren't elected, so, they don't have to be "politically correct"

In Sonoma county California, 60% of the doctors are not accepting new Medicare patients due to low reimbursement http://www.californiahealthline.org/index.cfm?Action=dspItem&itemID=115790

This 4% plus, the administration and Congress has authorized, lowering Medicare reimbursement to doctors, is going to be the gold plated nail in the coffin... unless people do something about it and do it now!!! Write to or call your person in Congress. MOAA and other organizations have made it so simple for us to do so that there can hardly be any excuse for not acting and acting now.

The Senate action is a positive step, but it's only a start. The House budget plan envisions letting the payment cuts take effect, on schedule, in January 06.

We need a barrage of grassroots inputs to House members, telling them that we must protect health care access for military and elderly beneficiaries by adopting the Senate Medicare/TRICARE payment improvements.

Visit http://moaaonline.org/ct/jpqIiB11hmge/  and click on the "Don't Cut Medicare/TRICARE Payments" link to send your representatives a MOAA-suggested message.

or

*Call your Member of Congress Washington offices by using MOAA's toll-free hot line to Capitol Hill (1-866-272-6622). Just ask the Capitol operator to connect you to your congress person's offices.


By doing so it could be your life or your loved ones that you save by getting first class care. Most importantly, it will be helping our active Military remain strong. As all of you well remember, the health of your family was one of paramount importance ..a huge boost to morale that made tough going palatable

We all ought to remember the time we spent day after day, year after year, in pursuit of Tricare for Life. Are we going to let a bunch of politician's take that away from us and from future military retirees?? I should hope not!

chk6

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