Why I don't want to be covered by Medicare

[Guest guest]

I wonder if others of you have thought ahead to what your practice will be like

if we are covered by Medicare. Yes, we will have more business but unless

we can get people to make a co-pay, we will earn less money. The

Government is a low and slow payer. Why do you think many medical doctors

refuse to take Medicare patients. Why do others resort to double billing the

Government. Besides not being paid adequately, we will be required to fill

out a never ending set of forms to collect the money.

 

I, for one, do not want to work harder to make the same or less money and

have my practice controlled by bureaucrats. We will have lilmits put on the

number of treatments a patient can receive, how long they can come to

acupuncture etc..

 

Furthermore, as I would be forced to see more patients during the day, the

quality of care will decline. I will just be dealing with the superficial pain

issues and never have the time to establish the rapport needed to work at the

spirit level.

 

Some one said, that I would just be treating those who can afford to pay. That

is a choice. In my practice, I treat several patients that I know can't afford

to

pay the full price for a nominal amount. There are others with whom I trade. I

do not stop treating people because they have run out of money. I work with

them on coming up with something that is comfortable for both parties.

 

Zinnia

[Guest guest]

I support your position 150%. I spent 20 years in hospitals that

accepted Medicaid and Medicare and you cannot even begin to know

what a nightmare this process is. I was a Compliance Officer in one

of the hospitals and let me tell you when it comes to the government

rules you are guilty until proven innocent, yes I said that

correctly, guilty. All things to consider.

 

Shane

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese Medicine , " zinnia "

<cmszinnia@e...> wrote:

> I wonder if others of you have thought ahead to what your practice

will be like

> if we are covered by Medicare. Yes, we will have more business

but unless

> we can get people to make a co-pay, we will earn less money. The

> Government is a low and slow payer. Why do you think many medical

doctors

> refuse to take Medicare patients. Why do others resort to double

billing the

> Government. Besides not being paid adequately, we will be

required to fill

> out a never ending set of forms to collect the money.

>

> I, for one, do not want to work harder to make the same or less

money and

> have my practice controlled by bureaucrats. We will have lilmits

put on the

> number of treatments a patient can receive, how long they can come

to

> acupuncture etc..

>

> Furthermore, as I would be forced to see more patients during the

day, the

> quality of care will decline. I will just be dealing with the

superficial pain

> issues and never have the time to establish the rapport needed to

work at the

> spirit level.

>

> Some one said, that I would just be treating those who can afford

to pay. That

> is a choice. In my practice, I treat several patients that I know

can't afford to

> pay the full price for a nominal amount. There are others with

whom I trade. I

> do not stop treating people because they have run out of money.

I work with

> them on coming up with something that is comfortable for both

parties.

>

> Zinnia

[Guest guest]

Zinnia,

 

One of the main reasons for pursuing Medicare coverage is that ALMOST ALL

insurance companies use this in order to decide coverage for their policies.

That should mean a lot to all of us who want to know that we are being

more utilized, a sign that the profession would be moving in the right

direction.

 

Cash is great, no problems with it but for many Americans, we need other

payment options and even the occasional Medicare patient at least would pay

for their needles.

 

When more people are faced with layoffs and paycuts, we cannot expect that

things will remain the same. If you do not want to treat more for less,

then we should really support this legislation as it shows support for our

professional future. Your practice is your practice but why limit patient

access and others choices of practice type?

 

 

Mike W. Bowser, L Ac

 

 

 

> " zinnia " <cmszinnia

>Chinese Medicine

>Chinese Medicine

> Why I don't want to be covered by Medicare

>Wed, 13 Jul 2005 19:18:34 -0000

>

>I wonder if others of you have thought ahead to what your practice will be

>like

>if we are covered by Medicare. Yes, we will have more business but unless

>we can get people to make a co-pay, we will earn less money. The

>Government is a low and slow payer. Why do you think many medical doctors

>refuse to take Medicare patients. Why do others resort to double billing

>the

>Government. Besides not being paid adequately, we will be required to fill

>out a never ending set of forms to collect the money.

>

>I, for one, do not want to work harder to make the same or less money and

>have my practice controlled by bureaucrats. We will have lilmits put on the

>number of treatments a patient can receive, how long they can come to

>acupuncture etc..

>

>Furthermore, as I would be forced to see more patients during the day, the

>quality of care will decline. I will just be dealing with the superficial

>pain

>issues and never have the time to establish the rapport needed to work at

>the

>spirit level.

>

>Some one said, that I would just be treating those who can afford to pay.

>That

>is a choice. In my practice, I treat several patients that I know can't

>afford to

>pay the full price for a nominal amount. There are others with whom I

>trade. I

>do not stop treating people because they have run out of money. I work

>with

>them on coming up with something that is comfortable for both parties.

>

>Zinnia

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Matt Bauer wrote:

> Hi Zinnia,

>

> As you mentioned in your post when you alluded to medical doctors who

> refuse to take Medicare, if Medicare begins to cover acupuncture

> treatments, you can refuse to accept those patients. Having

> acupuncture covered by Medicare will allow those who chose to work

> within that system the ability to treat many people who could not

> otherwise afford it. - Matt Bauer

 

Hi Matt!

 

As I have said several times, and been ignored several times, it isn't

about Medicare at all. It is about the 60% of the insurance companies

who *only*cover*what*Medicare*covers*. I can't understand why people

miss this.

 

Regards,

 

Pete

[Guest guest]

mike Bowser wrote:

> Zinnia,

>

> One of the main reasons for pursuing Medicare coverage is that ALMOST ALL

> insurance companies use this in order to decide coverage for their policies.

> That should mean a lot to all of us who want to know that we are being

> more utilized, a sign that the profession would be moving in the right

> direction.

 

Hi Mike!

 

Bravo.

 

Regards,

 

Pete

[Guest guest]

One of the main reasons for pursuing Medicare coverage is that ALMOST ALL

insurance companies use this in order to decide coverage for their policies.

>>>>>That is the best argument against Medicare. All other insurances will lower

their rates to Medicare rates

 

 

 

Oakland, CA 94609

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Not likely. They still cover most medical procedures at other than Medicare

rates.

 

 

Mike W. Bowser, L Ac

 

 

 

> " " <alonmarcus

>Chinese Medicine

><Chinese Medicine >

>Re: Why I don't want to be covered by Medicare

>Wed, 13 Jul 2005 15:53:20 -0700

>

>One of the main reasons for pursuing Medicare coverage is that ALMOST ALL

>insurance companies use this in order to decide coverage for their

>policies.

> >>>>>That is the best argument against Medicare. All other insurances will

>lower their rates to Medicare rates

>

>

>

>Oakland, CA 94609

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Pete,

 

It is true that being covered by Medicare will help further the coverage of

acupuncture by some insurance plans as you have pointed out. For me personally

though, this is not the " main " thing about the Medicare/acupuncture issue. For

me, the main thing is that there are millions of American who could benefit from

acupuncture but who will never avail themselves to our healing services unless

we are reimbursed through Medicare. It is not that I don't care about the money

issues, I appreciate that being reasonably reimbursed for our services is

important and I am very much a supporter of our profession taking all possible

steps toward those ends. The fact remains though, that we are ever more a nation

of haves and have-nots, and I want to see that the have-nots have access to our

services also - at least those in our profession willing to treat them under

that reimbursement system. There is a lot of work to be done on both fronts. -

Matt Bauer

-

Pete Theisen

Chinese Medicine

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 2:12 PM

Re: Why I don't want to be covered by Medicare

 

 

Matt Bauer wrote:

> Hi Zinnia,

>

> As you mentioned in your post when you alluded to medical doctors who

> refuse to take Medicare, if Medicare begins to cover acupuncture

> treatments, you can refuse to accept those patients. Having

> acupuncture covered by Medicare will allow those who chose to work

> within that system the ability to treat many people who could not

> otherwise afford it. - Matt Bauer

 

Hi Matt!

 

As I have said several times, and been ignored several times, it isn't

about Medicare at all. It is about the 60% of the insurance companies

who *only*cover*what*Medicare*covers*. I can't understand why people

miss this.

 

Regards,

 

Pete

 

 

http://babel.altavista.com/

 

and adjust

accordingly.

 

 

If you are a TCM academic and wish to discuss TCM with other academics, click

on this link

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Matt Bauer wrote:

> Hi Pete,

>

> It is true that being covered by Medicare will help further the

> coverage of acupuncture by some insurance plans as you have pointed

> out. For me personally though, this is not the " main " thing about the

> Medicare/acupuncture issue. For me, the main thing is that there are

> millions of American who could benefit from acupuncture but who will

> never avail themselves to our healing services unless we are

> reimbursed through Medicare.

 

Hi Matt!

 

I often talk to people who say that their insurance costs so much that

they can't afford anything that it doesn't cover. To them, their

insurance is very like Medicare.

 

Regards,

 

Pete