Data compiled by the Chronicle show more than 300 doctors have “opted out” of Medicare in the past two years, including 50 in the first three months of 2010. The largest number of doctors opting out are in primary care.
In addition, 42 percent of Texas physicians who participated in a 2008 survey by the Texas Medical Association said they were no longer accepting all potential new Medicare patients, and it is not known what that number is now.
“This new data shows the Medicare system is beginning to implode,” said TMA President Susan Bailey, MD. She added that Congress’ failure to permanently fix the sustainable growth rate will exacerbate the situation. The SGR, which Congress started in 1997, would now impose a 21.3 percent cut in Medicare physician fees, due to go into effect on June 1 unless Congress acts.
Before Congress takes its Memorial Day recess from May 31-June 4, it has the option of passing a quick “patch” to stop the fee cut for one or two months, as it has done three times before this year, or passing a pending bill to stop SGR implementation for five years. The latter would buoy physicians’ confidence in Medicare fees and maybe even stop the exodus from Medicare. But the five-year fix bill has a price tag of $88.5 billion. Physicians would prefer a 10-year fix, but the Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that option would cost nearly $276 billion.
Opting out of Medicare is no small matter, according to Medscape. Physicians have to agree not to submit any Medicare claims or receive any payment from Medicare for any services provided to any Medicare beneficiary for two years. Moreover, some physicians may be prevented from opting out due to contracts with employers, arrangements with hospitals for on-call coverage or contracts with insurers.
Read the Houston Chronicle’s report on opting out of Medicare.
