Question for Anyone on Medicare . . .

[Redneck1919]

Have you had any problems finding a doctor that is taking new Medicare patients?

I have had two recently tell me they are not taking any new ones. One was an allergist in my Aetna network, which is my secondary ins. from when I was working. Second was another doctor that my wife is presently seeing every month.

I guess the doctor's practices are being overwhelmed with us older people and they can't make a living from what Medicare is willing to pay.

I can see where this could become a serious problem.

 

[lostchild]

Yes, many doctors are not taking new Medicare patients. If you look at the pitiful amounts they pay on claims, and the fact that some claims are not paid for 9-12 months, you can see how good docs with an established practice would choose not to participate.
Case in point, I just received a statement from a doctor for a procedure for which he billed $497.00.
Medicare discounted it by $329.24, paid $133.66.
My secondary insurance paid $17.05.
My balance $17.05.
So, for a $497 procedure paid thru Medicare, doctor receives $150.76.
Hard to keep the doors open on that.

 

[Psilloh1]

Yes, many doctors are not taking new Medicare patients. If you look at the pitiful amounts they pay on claims, and the fact that some claims are not paid for 9-12 months, you can see how good docs with an established practice would choose not to participate.
Case in point, I just received a statement from a doctor for a procedure for which he billed $497.00.
Medicare discounted it by $329.24, paid $133.66.
My secondary insurance paid $17.05.
My balance $17.05.
So, for a $497 procedure paid thru Medicare, doctor receives $150.76.
Hard to keep the doors open on that.

At least the good ones....

 

[Granite3]

My buddy is an eye Dr, Medicare pays him $27 to see a patient, almost an hour visit.

Does not pay him, staff, facility. He needs about $60/hr to break even before he gets a dime.

 

[Lionheart]

For all intents and purposes Medicare is becoming useless as a viable health insurance option. Just another way our government has failed to honor its promises. And they are being really sneaky about how they are taking it away. Just pay so little and so late that doctors won't accept Medicare patients...all the while claiming they are covering the elderly who paid those taxes all those years.

Theft.

 

[Shortcut]

Yet many in government want everyone on single payer government insurance. So the. I guess alot of dr’s will just go out of business or make a boat ton less? Sad truly the failures of gov’t while they promise to care for the people just to gain power.

 

[diacnik]

Yes, many doctors are not taking new Medicare patients. If you look at the pitiful amounts they pay on claims, and the fact that some claims are not paid for 9-12 months, you can see how good docs with an established practice would choose not to participate.
Case in point, I just received a statement from a doctor for a procedure for which he billed $497.00.
Medicare discounted it by $329.24, paid $133.66.
My secondary insurance paid $17.05.
My balance $17.05.
So, for a $497 procedure paid thru Medicare, doctor receives $150.76.
Hard to keep the doors open on that.

good point, but part of the problem is that the procedure should only have been $200 to start with. The rest is to pay for those who don't pay anything, and for the attorneys who are chasing ambulances

 

[JWC]

OP, neither my wife or I have experienced being turned down by doctor's because we are on Medicare. We have just began seeing a couple of new doctor's and they accepted us.

 

[Sugmadic]

I'm fortunate in that my wife carries me on her insurance thru work and Medicare is my secondary. I did have problems finding a new family doctor because of the medicare. I called at least a dozen different places before finding one right here in Senoia that accepted me

 

[MuleShoe]

Wife’s doctors are all been with her 18 years except family doctor about 10 years no problems! I have dental insurance on her at work and a dentist wouldn’t take that other day!