Nearly Two-Thirds of Doctors Say They Could Be Forced to Stop Taking New Medicare Patients
Texas Medicare patients could soon struggle to get a physician’s care if planned Medicare payment cuts take place on Jan. 1.
According to a new Texas Medical Association (TMA) survey, the nearly 10% Medicare pay cut Congress has scheduled for the new year could devastate physicians who care for the senior citizens and people with disabilities covered by the federal health insurer.
“We’re talking about a sizable and ever-growing portion of the aging U.S. population in Medicare – folks who are most susceptible to chronic illnesses and infectious diseases like COVID-19 – who could end up without access to a doctor,” said TMA President E. Linda Villarreal, MD.
“I will have to strongly consider limiting, or stopping, my availability to Medicare patients,” if the cuts take place, said a Texas family physician in the TMA survey. “This is hard to stomach, as I feel a duty to care for all people regardless of age or payor status.”
The physician speaks for many: If the cuts take effect, nearly two-thirds (62%) of Texas physicians say they could be forced to stop seeing any new Medicare patients.
What’s more, 59% of physicians polled said they would consider opting out of Medicare altogether; 43% may contemplate retirement; and 42% might even have to stop seeing their existing Medicare patients.
“Physicians need additional support right now – not a pay cut,” said Dr. Villarreal. Many physicians also say the cuts add insult to injury as Texas faces the 19th month of COVID-19 stress and disruptions that already pushed their practices to the brink.
“We are already exhausted from a year and a half of a pandemic and now to hear of a cut like this would place massive strains on my small practice,” said Stephen Yang, MD. “I fear that actions like these will eventually cause more and more solo/small practice doctors to hang it up. This type of action gives me dread.”
Ophthalmologist Dean Porter, MD, said the cuts would “threaten the ability of physicians to provide care for America’s most vulnerable.” Physicians’ Medicare payments have not been raised to meet cost-of-living hikes in 20 years. “Physicians have rolled with the punches and taken more than a few for the team for decades,” Dr. Porter said. The Sugar Land physician said he fears the new cuts may force many doctors to “tap out.”
The 9.75% cut is a sum of three scheduled Medicare physician pay cuts. Only a congressional vote would stop each from taking effect.
Frank Saporito, MD, a Dallas dermatologist, intended to practice medicine for 10 more years, but the planned Medicare cut will force him to retire next year. “By cutting Medicare, Congress has sent physicians and senior citizens a clear message – you are expendable,” he said.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 55,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
