in response to emilye...
Unfortunately, your's is not a isolated case. Doctors are not getting reimbursed at the rate they want from medicare. Medicare is already stretched too thin to pay any higher.
Medicaid, (which is approved based on income, savings, and assets) on the other hand, pays the copays medicare does not. They reimburse doctors on a MUCH smaller scale.
Let me see if I can explain this an easier way- this is all hypothetical:
For example: your doctor might charge $100 for an office visit.
A private insurance might be responsible for $75
Medicare might be responsible for $25 and your copay might be $5. So Medicare pays $20, and if you have medicaid, they might pay $3 and the additional $2 is written off.
So out of a $100 office visit...
Charge $ 100
Medicare paid -$ 20
Medicaid paid -$ 3
Balance $ 77 - written off
This is money out of doctor's pocket.
Now I know you are saying , "well he's the doctor, he makes $200k per year!" That may be true, And I do NOT disagree with you. BUT look at it from his perspective.
100 medicare/medicaid patients per week
x77 write off per patient
= $7700 per week x 52 weeks
=$400,400 per year - this is nearly 1/2 million dollars the doctor is losing out on EVERY YEAR.
Again, I am not saying this is fair or even being close to right. Personally, I think it sucks all the way around. But maybe now, more people can understand that the government is screwing everyone, not just them.
Do as Elaine said, check with patient advocate. If they cannot help, you can always check with your attorney general - they may be able to assist.
