Medicare doesn’t get it

“Spending grew as doctors saw patients more frequently, did more tests and provided more in-office drugs than expected.

In addition to increasing premiums, the higher-than-expected spending on doctor services last year might hamper physician efforts to win a pay increase instead of a cut from Medicare next year.”

This is a no-win situation for everyone involved. The government is blaming the physicians for the growing cost and expense of emerging technology by cutting physician reimbursements – doctors lose. Cut reimbursements, and physicians are likely to respond by dropping Medicare entirely – patients lose.

Any wonder why medical students are shunning primary care? Why go into a profession where you have to work in an environment that plans “physician pay cuts they say would average 26% from January 2006 to 2011.”