Lets Talk Medicare

We recently had a big scare when we thought Medicare payments to Doctors and Hospitals would be cut. It didn't happen this time, but what can we do to make sure it doesn't happen next time?

First, we have to keep Medicare in place. Our senior citizens, of which I am one, have spent all of their years planning, on the Government's promise, that Medicare will be in place when they reach sixty-five. Our health care planning is all predicated on having Medicare cover our basic health care in our retirement years.

Second, we must find a way to bring more young Doctors into the practice of primary care. I am fortunate enough to have a young Doctor for my primary care physician, however, I worry that he may quit his practice before I pass on. In talking to my young Doctor, he tells me that he no longer takes Medicare patients because the pay per visit is low and the paperwork is very burdensome (he has to spend two to three hours every night completing Medicare paperwork after he closes the office). This additional work is over and above the records he maintains on me for his use to know what problems I have and the changes my health has taken. While I know that there is a lot of Medicare fraud going on we must find a way to reduce the paperwork required by our hard working and honest physicians. I spent all my working years in the accounting field and I know there is a need for record keeping. However, there is a point of diminishing return and I can't help but think we are way past that with the current requirements. I believe it is time to do away with some of the bureaucrats.

Third, I ask myself (and I'm sure you do too) where are our elected officials in Congress? What does it take, to get them to sit down and make the changes that are needed to both reduce the paperwork burden and reduce the cost of this system? While this is a massive system, it should not be rocket science to get it to a working system for the people that it is intended to benefit.

While we are working on Medicare, we need to look at the requirements of the Insurance Companies and bring them in line with a paperwork reduction as well. It can't be right that these Insurance Companies are making millions and the Doctors are doing all the work. There are savings out there to be had by the over all health system.

Don't think this is knocking the health system in the United States of America, because we have the best Health Care anywhere in the World. But, we can clean up the burden of paperwork for our Doctors and pay them for the services they perform.

Call your Congressman or Congresswoman, and your Senators now.