Bush Threatens Cutting Doctors’ Pay to Save Insurance Company Profits
As President Bush’s administration winds down, you would think he would give a few folks a break at home. After all, all the candidates running to take Bush’s job are addressing issues such as the billions being spent on the war vs. the millions of dollars needed for programs at home, such as Medicare.
Even members of Bush’s party have flatly told him that regardless of the war, cutting benefits to the most vulnerable individuals in society is just not OK. Bush’s answer to the pleadings of both parties: let’s cut doctors payments and make sure that insurance companies continue to get theirs. So, it’s fine to take money from doctors who are already underpaid by Medicare and Medicaid, deducting their Medicare payments by 10%. Since there is a shortage of doctors who are willing or able to provide services to elderly individuals on Medicare, what an idea: let’s penalize the ones that are – and have been- willing to keep providing necessary medical care to our most vulnerable individuals.
Since some of these doctors are operating on a slim margin that makes it difficult to pay malpractice insurance premiums, it seems unimaginable that Bush is not at least leaving their payments alone. Instead, this 10.6% payment reduction to doctors is scheduled to begin on July 1.
Congress – on both sides of the aisle - is working feverishly to find $9 billion in other Medicare programs over the next five years to keep Bush’s plan/veto from going through. The other hope is getting enough votes on a workable program that will keep Bush from vetoing or doing anything else that will further jeopardize healthcare for those who need it most.
This is an issue to keep an eye on – especially in the coming days and weeks, as the outcome will affect many individuals, families and physicians dramatically.
