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Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (13178)	1/23/2010 11:51:04 AM
From: Peter Dierks	2 Recommendations Respond to of 42652

The first clue is that the partisan liberal AP wrote your piece and the liberal news pages of the Wall Street Journal was the source of the piece I posted. It was reposted on the internet on the conservative editorial side of the WSJ. Another main difference is that the WSJ article is fact based and the PA story is a feel good piece. It does includes some hints of the facts though: It has done little to stem soaring insurance premiums even as it has expanded the number of insured residents to the highest in the nation

To: Lane3 who wrote (13178)	1/25/2010 5:15:53 PM
From: Lane3	2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

Here's a bit more detail on Medicare and Mayo. Why the Mayo Clinic is refusing to see Medicare patients January 25, 2010 by Toni Brayer, MD Medicare, the government insurance company for everyone over age 65 (and for the disabled) pays fees to primary care physicians that guarantee bankruptcy. Additionally, 70% of hospitals in the United States lose money on Medicare patients. That’s right, for every patient over age 65, it costs the hospital more to deliver care than the government reimburses. That is why Mayo Clinic has said it will not accept Medicare payments for primary care physician visits. Mayo gets it. Nationwide, physicians are paid 20% less from Medicare than from private payers. If you are not paid a sustainable amount, you can’t make it up in volume. It just doesn’t pencil out. Mayo lost $840 million last year on Medicare. Since Mayo is considered a national model for efficient health care, if they are losing money it doesn’t bode well for the rest of us who are much less efficient and who have fewer resources for integrated patient care. Instead of Medicare payments for clinic visits, Mayo will start charging patients a $2,000 fee for patients to be seen at their Glendale, Arizona clinic. Much like a “retainer”, this fee will cover an annual physical and three other doctor visits. Each patient will also be assessed a $250 annual administrative fee. Primary care physicians are on the front line of patient care and senior patients are the most time consuming. The average Medicare patient takes 11 different medications. Just refilling and coordinating the medication can take up an entire office visit, without addressing other health concerns. I grant all Medicare patients a 1/2 hour visit because I would be chronically behind if I didn’t. After paying office overhead, I am broke with Medicare. I do not welcome the 65th birthday of my patients, but I continue to see them because I love my senior patients. No kidding, I really love being their doctor. They are grateful and respectful and have interesting health conditions. I am able to see them because I make my income from my administrative position and I have private pay patients. Sad but true. Unless we have true payment reform that values primary care and pays for coordination of care, I fear Medicare patients will not find enough willing physicians who accept Medicare in the future. Tony Brayer is an internal medicine physician who blogs at EverythingHealth.