With a Republican majority to take effect in Washington, what will happen with the issue of Medicare physician pay cuts? AARP Wisconsin spokesman Jim Flaherty says the concern of the government not fully reimbursing doctors who take such patients is a bi-partisan issue.
“I think both sides understand that, so I think you’ll see the new legislature, the new Congress addressing it,” he says.
Advocates say doctors facing a major decrease in Medicare reimbursement results in such patients being turned away from care rather than providers eating the cost of treatment.
Earlier this month the President signed off on a bill that prevents a 25-percent pay cut for Medicare physicians that would’ve taken effect January 1st. Flaherty says the funding that covers all of 2011 is only a “temporary band aid.”
Congress has given nearly half dozen temporary fixes to the program in the past year. Flaherty adds the reimbursement system is inherently flawed and need to be reformed.