Since President Barack Husein Obama took office, the loudest song has been Healthcare Reform. To some of us this sounds like a long overdue good idea however reform sometimes brings changes one never expected and casts new light on things previously hidden.  In a recent CNN Money article, Dr Schreiber, a Primary Care Physician revealed what his practice gets from Medicare and what the implications of approved Medicare cuts mean for him.

According to the article published on March 4 2010, “Schreiber gets about $44 from Medicare for the $70 fee he charges.” with regards to the Medicare cuts coming into effect at the end of March, he said “If I am now getting paid 21% less on what Medicare reimburses me, it turns Medicare into a losing proposition,” . That sounds like some Doctors who are in business (as opposed to being in charity) may not hang around Medicare patients much longer. Dr Schreiber however did say he would continue to care for Medicare patients for now.

Many other primary care doctors may not be as magnanimous especially if they can not make ends meet. So if you are on Medicare, this may be a good discussion to have with your doctor. call him/her on the phone and simply ask:

“Doc, I am on Medicare. Will you fire me because of money?”

It may interest you to know that some Anesthetic Nurses are paid more than Family Doctors and with the 60,000 shortfall in required primary care physicians, with payment disparities like this, the improved insurance coverage touted by the healthcare reform bill may not be sustainable. Maybe we will go and ask Cuba for doctors when the time comes.