By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Should We Care If Doctors Drop Medicare?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Should We Care If Doctors Drop Medicare?
Health ReformPolicy & LawPublic Health

Should We Care If Doctors Drop Medicare?

DavidEWilliams
Last updated: August 2, 2013 8:11 am
DavidEWilliams
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

A small but increasing number of doctors have stopped taking Medicare patients, according to new data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Reasons cited include low reimbursement rates, high paperwork burden, and pressure to adopt electronic medical records. And a few doctors are scrapping private insurance, too, for some of the same reasons.

A small but increasing number of doctors have stopped taking Medicare patients, according to new data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Reasons cited include low reimbursement rates, high paperwork burden, and pressure to adopt electronic medical records. And a few doctors are scrapping private insurance, too, for some of the same reasons.

It doesn’t bother me to see this happening. In fact it might be healthy if the trend were to accelerate, because it would provoke some interesting policy conversations. For example:

  • Does it really make sense to use an insurance mechanism for routine, relatively low cost expenditures such as primary care? We don’t have insurance for gasoline and oil changes for our cars. If we did away with third-party reimbursement for much of primary care it could drive down the cost of doing business and enable lower pricing. We already see this with certain “direct care” models. (One reason so much comes under the insurance mechanism is that it’s tax advantaged under current law. We should have a serious discussion about repealing the tax deductibility of health insurance to reduce the distortions and inefficiencies that it causes.)
  • Should different payers be allowed to pay doctors different prices for the same service, or should it be the same price for all comers? Why should Medicare pay less or more than Blue Cross or an uninsured patient for a visit or a procedure? There’s a lot of time and energy spent on negotiating and administering the rates and it’s not clear that much value is achieved.
  • Why is it that primary care struggles so mightily while specialists, especially those performing procedures, enjoy much cushier rates? Some light has been shed on this topic recently – but a whole lot more is needed.
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

State Farm Can Monitor Your Driving Habits

May 16, 2011
Global Healthcare

Really Oxfam? Really?

March 14, 2011

CO-OPs – The Stealth Public Option Under the ACA?

September 6, 2012

Why Are There Drug Shortages?

December 3, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?