Yep, November 2010 is shaping up to be a very interesting month.  The perfect storm surrounding the complexities of providing care to the aging uninsured is about to become a tsunami. The addition of millions of patients to the rolls of Medicare, the end of the six month reprieve on the implementation of enormous cuts, and the eye-opening intention of many medical providers to shorten their Medicare beneficiary bases will all combine to create healthcare’s version of the BP oil catastrophe.

Okay, that sentiment could be a little hyperbolic, but don’t discount the lingering animosity many physicians have for the lack of any government action on the way Medicare reimbursements are generated. Sure, there may be a six-month break before the inevitable occurs, but some providers have just had enough.

“I’m making a statement,” says Leah McCormack, a New York City dermatologist. “Many physicians are really being forced out of private practice.”

While hardly representative of the entire universe of physicians who see Medicare patients (some 97 percent according to CMS), it does encapsulate the sentiment being felt as many states’ medical societies as they report significant numbers of physician opt-outs. On the flip side, realistically, how many physicians can actually afford to leave Medicare — either via a moral stance or one out of necessity? Hopefully, patients will not have to find out. Healthcare access is an important part of President Obama’s reform agenda. The little-known (until now) inner workings of Medicare legislation will be taking front-and-center positions, as this latest wrinkle in healthcare reform gains more momentum for definitive action. And this time, the physicians are taking notice. | LINK

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