Another ObamaCare Shoe Drops: Docs not participating

[GodFearinGunTotin]

ObamaCare certainly seems to be the hot topic right now. I know there's a few docs that participate on this forum. I'm curious as to what they're seeing--Does this article reflect what's going on around here?

Blog: Another Obamacare shoe drops: Docs not participating

 

[eldirector]

NONE of our docs are participating (general prac., specialty, or pediatrician). I chatted with them about it during appointments this last month or so.

 

[firehawk1]

Soon they will have no choice, they will force them to participate. The "stick" will be yanking their license.

 

[Shadow8088]

no, the "stick" will be the almighty dollar... since "everyone" will have insurance, if you choose not to practice or won't take on patients, you won't have the money to operate... it's pretty simple..

 

[Lex Concord]

no, the "stick" will be the almighty dollar... since "everyone" will have insurance, if you choose not to practice or won't take on patients, you won't have the money to operate... it's pretty simple..

No, there are docs now who don't take any insurance and survive quite well. They're good enough they don't have to, even though I'm sure most of their patients already have insurance, and could choose to go elsewhere that would cost them less.

 

[Lex Concord]

Cool, black market medicine will be awesome.

 

[indykid]

Let me see, during prohibition no alcoholic beverages we sold in the open, yet alcohol was available if you knew where to go. I think they were called "Speak Easies".

Now that socialized medicine has hit the land of the free, and doctors will have a list of what they can charge for what they spent a fortune to do, will we see underground hospitals sprouting up? I know a lot of doctors that have said that the new pay scale will make it easier for them to choose a new profession. Pay scale? We know it as medicade, the amount of money paid to doctors for treating obama-messiah's followers. Many doctors will not treat medicade patients because their costs will not be covered by the amount of money the government is willing to pay for those who don't want to take responsibility for their lives.

I wonder if this is how my grand parents felt when prohibition was passed?

 

[jake blue]

They're not really underground hospitals or black market doctors... it's simply 'boutique' medicine in which those who can afford to pay cash for their medical service will do so and the practitioners who can demand higher cash-only prices will do so. There's no law that I know of that says a doctor HAS to accept insurance-paying patients but once they do accept insurances then they are supposed to be bound by the agreed-to service prices that were negotiated with the insurer. There are those who break those agreements (ask me how I know) but by doing so they risk their continued ability to accept that insurance if the insurer cuts them off for violating the agreement.

In terms of the Obamacare part, I don't know if the doctor's office will know where a patient purchased their insurance... remember, Obamacare is about creating a marketplace but it's not the actual insurer. It simply subsidizes premiums and dictates levels of coverage from insurers who choose to participate in the various insurance markets. You could have BCBS or Anthem or Aetna or whatever and it could be purchased privately, through the marketplace or provided by your employer. You could be on Medicaid but now the pool of Medicaid qualified recipients has just about doubled.

 

[88GT]

They're not really underground hospitals or black market doctors... it's simply 'boutique' medicine in which those who can afford to pay cash for their medical service will do so and the practitioners who can demand higher cash-only prices will do so. There's no law that I know of that says a doctor HAS to accept insurance-paying patients but once they do accept insurances then they are supposed to be bound by the agreed-to service prices that were negotiated with the insurer. There are those who break those agreements (ask me how I know) but by doing so they risk their continued ability to accept that insurance if the insurer cuts them off for violating the agreement.

In terms of the Obamacare part, I don't know if the doctor's office will know where a patient purchased their insurance... remember, Obamacare is about creating a marketplace but it's not the actual insurer. It simply subsidizes premiums and dictates levels of coverage from insurers who choose to participate in the various insurance markets. You could have BCBS or Anthem or Aetna or whatever and it could be purchased privately, through the marketplace or provided by your employer. You could be on Medicaid but now the pool of Medicaid qualified recipients has just about doubled.

Higher cash-only prices? I think you have that backward. My out-of-pocket cost before the deductible is met for a regular doctor office visit is $85. Do you know what it is when the deductible is met? $55. Do you know what that means? It means the doc only needs to charge me $55 to meet his income requirements. But he tells the insurance company that he needs $123. Then the insurance company tells him he doesn't, and they'll reimburse costs up to $85. And THAT is why medical care in this country is so damn expensive.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I knew at least one doctor who quit practicing in the mid-80s because she saw no way to make a living at it sufficient to pay off her school debts. This isn't a new situation; it's just vastly worse than it used to be.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Wreckers! That will be forced, er, taxed into participating.

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[firehawk1]

Higher cash-only prices? I think you have that backward. My out-of-pocket cost before the deductible is met for a regular doctor office visit is $85. Do you know what it is when the deductible is met? $55. Do you know what that means? It means the doc only needs to charge me $55 to meet his income requirements. But he tells the insurance company that he needs $123. Then the insurance company tells him he doesn't, and they'll reimburse costs up to $85. And THAT is why medical care in this country is so damn expensive.

Totally agree but would add this. My grandfather opened 3 nursing homes in Indiana back in the mid-late '60's. For several years he refused to accept medicare/medicad patients. Of course the regulations changed and he ended up having no choice, either accept them or most likely lose your operating license. He reason was, he would have to overcharge the private paying patients to subsidize the medicare/medicad patients because medicare/medicad would only reimburse him a set amount no matter what the actual cost of providing care was.

Part of what you've stated is most likely caused by that exact reason.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

The docs will be forced to work. There can be no opting out.

 

[Captain Bligh]

As a mental health provider, I am on many insurance panels as well as accepting Medicaid and Medicare. I am not seeing anything so different here other than the potential for more persons to be on Medicaid and Medicare, and therefore more persons at the lowest rates. We already accept insurance companies negotiated reduced rates. The condition has existed for many years that many providers don't accept Medicaid or Medicare but choose to exist on insurance or private pay. No one forces me to take Medicaid and Medicare; I choose to.

The fact is most providers could not survive on cash pay because there are not enough cash pay patients. I love it when I get cash patients, but I would starve to death if I had to live off them.

 

[jake blue]

Higher cash-only prices? I think you have that backward. My out-of-pocket cost before the deductible is met for a regular doctor office visit is $85. Do you know what it is when the deductible is met? $55. Do you know what that means? It means the doc only needs to charge me $55 to meet his income requirements. But he tells the insurance company that he needs $123. Then the insurance company tells him he doesn't, and they'll reimburse costs up to $85. And THAT is why medical care in this country is so damn expensive.

The uninsured (whether by choice or not) pay higher out of pocket costs than insured. And in a boutique medical situation, higher demand services can demand a premium. Don't mistake comparing what you pay 'after deductible' to what you would pay if you provided no insurance information at all.

 

[eldirector]

The docs will be forced to work. There can be no opting out.

I know of at least 3 doctors that would simply retire. Another that would likely move into another line of work.

The Progressives will get their way, regardless of how many people of hurt in the process.

You think the auto industry debacle was bad? Or the tech crash? Or the housing slump? Wait until the medical/insurance industry collapses. $2 Trillion business employing over 17 million people.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

My doc says no. Can't make overhead if she takes O-patients.

 

[88GT]

The uninsured (whether by choice or not) pay higher out of pocket costs than insured. And in a boutique medical situation, higher demand services can demand a premium. Don't mistake comparing what you pay 'after deductible' to what you would pay if you provided no insurance information at all.

I'm not "mistaking" anything. I know what it costs because I have paid out of pocket for services without insurance. I know from my own experience that your claim is not true. But if you have evidence that makes my experience an outlier, I'll happily entertain it.

I've been through this insurance thing enough to know what's going on.

 

[JTScribe]

You'd think that forcing doctors - or any other profession - to work would run in violation of the 13th Amendment and scare the crap out of the left, but they certainly don't seem to be too worried about the prospect.

 

[j706]

I don't know much of anything about this affordable care act. What I do know is if the government is involved it will be slow, awkward,expensive and won't work. I have had three (3) doctors in my adult life. Of the three one died years ago, one retired in March because of this new law and third one just sent me a letter this week saying Nov. 1 is his last day. So I get to look for a new doctor. Of the ones my wife has called they are saying December is the earliest appointment. This new health care mess is going to be a disaster.