The focus of healthcare reform has recently brought the important issue of the Medicare payment reimbursement process to the fore — albeit very briefly and for mainly the wrong reasons.^[1] But that hasn’t obliterated the fact that the solvency of Medicare provider payments remains a strong legislative goal (just not a sexy one).

Unfortunately, any sort of longstanding legislation that gives physicians who see Medicare patients a reason to cheer will have to wait — at least for another year.

The scheduled reduction in Medicare payment rates would be 22 percent without reform. That would set up even deeper required cuts in 2011, and force lawmakers to step in again next year – just as it has almost every year since 2002. At best, lawmakers might scratch up enough money to patch over both years.

‘We have a broken doctor payment system in Medicare that we have to fix every year,’ said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, a member of the Finance Committee, which has responsibility for the policy in the Senate. ‘It’s a disgrace.’

To those who are still unconvinced that current Medicare payment schemes to doctors does much to threaten the quality of medical care in this country, just take Sen. Hatch’s words to heart and wait a few years to see what impact this issue has on healthcare — reform, or no reform. | LINK

1. Republicans came to the “defense” of the government entitlement program to apply a wedge to the public option provision championed by the Democrats immediately after President Obama’s healthcare address to the nation. [↩]

Related Posts Within Doctor Pundit:

1. Hospitals, Physicians Raise Stakes on Obama’s Push for an Independent Medicare Payment Commission As the dog days of Obama’s first summer as president...
2. House Move Revamps Medicare Payment System, Senate Nixes Any Hope in Reversing Cuts to Providers Calling it “essential” and that “it should be a part...
3. Healthcare Reform Plan May Include Medicare Payment Provision There’s an emerging consensus among physicians who receive Medicare reimbursements...