A few years ago, medical doctors - primary care and OB/GYN doctors in particular, were quitting their practice or leaving Texas in droves. The reason? The sky rocketing cost of malpractice insurance brought about by egregious jury awards in lawsuits across the state.
Texas solved the problem by passing a serious tort reform bill which limited jury awards to actual damages and costs, with a cap on maximum of penalties for 'pain & suffering'.
Soon, the U-Haul trailers started flooding back to Texas with doctor's office equipment aboard. The number of new licensees in the state grew rapidly. Quality health care became available in the furthest corners of this great State!
But alas, then came Medicare payment cuts imposed by Congress in an effort to cut expenditures back in 1997. These cuts, thought to be modest, have grown substantially.
"Congress would overturn the cuts, but their short-term fixes didn't keep up with inflation. The Texas Medical Association says the cumulative effect since 2001 already amounts to an inflation-adjusted cut of 20.9 percent. In 2001, doctors receiving a $1,000 Medicare payment made roughly $410, after taking out operating expenses. In 2010, they'll net $290. If the scheduled 21.2 percent cut goes through, they'd net $72, effectively an 83 percent cut since 2001."
So, what is the result? With these cuts already in place and predicted greater cuts to Medicare to find money for the Obamacare fiasco -- Texas doctors are dropping Medicare patients like they were radio-active! Not by the tens, not by the fifties, but by the hundreds of doctors. Those that haven't 'opted' out of Medicare practice, are no longer accepting new Medicare patients. This goes for specialists as well as General Practitioners.
The question then becomes, "Is there an answer?" and the answer is Yes. But if the question is rephrased, "Is there an EASY answer?". the answer is No!
If you are a seasoned citizen, or retired military, you might want to ask your GP on your next visit, no matter what state you live in..... for his/her outlook. It's not too early to worry!
For the full article in the Houston Chronical, go to:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7009807.html
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