Healthcare Bill and Its Impact on Medicare

The Senate Health Bill has been grabbing headlines for months as members of the Senate continue to debate spending, bill allotments, and the merits of improved or universal healthcare coverage. The latest iteration of this bill in late November and included a price tag of 9 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 0 billion alone would be set aside to help cover doctors' fees so that they would not suffer from a drastic cut back to reimbursement rates.

Much in keeping with the diversity of American opinion, this bill has come with more than its fair share of controversy, sparking heated debates on both sides of the political aisle.

Healthcare

Bill controversy

Healthcare Bill and Its Impact on Medicare

Democrats and Republicans are sharply divided over the merits and allocations included in this healthcare bill. The final vote on the bill showcased this division; the voting results were nearly entirely along party lines. In the 243 to 183 win by the Democratic-controlled House, only 11 Democrats voted against the bill and only one Republican voted for the bill. That Republican is also an obstetrician - Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas.

Republicans called the 0 billion allocation to cover doctors' fees a political payoff and labeled it as the Democrats' way of thanking physicians for their support of President Obama's healthcare overhaul.

What's included in the bill and how will it affect Americans?

The new healthcare bill, which will go into effect in 2010, is said to provide coverage to 94 percent of Americans. The bill is also estimated to cut the federal deficit by 7 billion during its first ten years. In its second decade, the bill is estimated to cut the federal deficit by as much as 0 billion. Over a 20-year period, it is believed that the bill would cut the federal deficit by 7.

However, in order to cut this deficit, the bill will reduce payments for Medicare plans and cut spending in a wide variety of other areas. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that seniors on Medicare will have to pay billion in higher healthcare premiums over the next 10 years, passing along much of the healthcare expenses to Medicare beneficiaries.

Additionally, because of reduced payments and services covered by the bill, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that Americans will see a 5 billion price increase in doctors' fees for those doctors who treat Medicare patients. With only a percentage of those fees being covered by Medicare, patients themselves will have to make up the difference out of their pockets. TRICARE (the military healthcare program) beneficiaries would see an increase in fees by about billion for non-military physicians who see patients enrolled in the TRICARE program.

How can Americans protect themselves from these price increases?

While it may be impossible to predict exactly how this bill will impact Americans and their pocketbooks until the bill is fully approved and implemented, Americans would be wise to begin looking for alternative healthcare solutions. Many Americans on Medicare may want to investigate alternatives to Original Medicare plans, including Medicare Advantage Plans.

Also, as healthcare prices increase, so will the prices of prescription medications and other medical services. Therefore, many Medicare beneficiaries would benefit by enrolling in Medicare Supplement insurance plans to help cover the cost of price increases and of items that are not covered by Original Medicare plans.

Managing the national healthcare system has proved to be a challenge and a politically derisive topic - especially over the past year. While changes are inevitable and are sure to impact every American, Americans can help to protect their health and their pocketbooks by focusing on maintaining or improving their health in controllable ways. Enrolling in affordable healthcare programs, such as a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplemental insurance program, may also help to save Americans a significant amount of money at the doctor's office.

Healthcare Bill and Its Impact on Medicare

By Wiley Long - President, MedigapAdvisors.com - The nation's leading independent agency specializing in Medigap coverage. Our professional medigap advisors will help you choose the best Medigap plan for your needs.

Medicare & Medicaid Doctor Directory - How to Find Doctors Who Accept Medicare and Medicaid

If you are receiving Medicare and/or Medicaid, it can often be difficult to find a doctor, be it a general practitioner or specialist, who will accept your insurance. Unfortunately the payment schedules set up by the government have resulted in many doctors opting out of the system because they simply cannot afford the substantially lower payments for Medicaid/Medicare services as well as afford to pay for the substantially greater paperwork involved in taking such patients.

Sadly, government has had a tendency to reduce reimbursement payments, not increase them, and do not seem to be interested in covering the actual cost of providing services.

Healthcare

Not only that, but private insurers are not longer willing to "subsidize" public patients by paying higher rates, so doctors cannot shift the ever-increasing costs to them.

As a result, at a time when more and more doctors are opting out of the system, those doctors who still take Medicare and Medicaid patients generally limit the number they will serve, so finding a doctor who will take your Medicare or Medicaid insurance is not as easy as simply opening the phone book and making a phone call. Indeed, it probably will take some real time and effort on your part.

There is not, and never has been, any requirement that doctors treat patients insured by Medicare or Medicaid. Therefore, people with Medicare or Medicaid are increasingly turning to federally funded clinics, or even to emergency rooms that cannot, by law, turn them away. Sadly, using emergency rooms for non-emergency health care is unbelievably expensive, making the lower reimbursement Medicare/Medicaid rates not financially wise in the long run.

So, how do you find a doctor that will take new Medicare/Medicaid patients?

Well, first of all, do not expect to find a doctor or, should you find one or a clinic taking Medicare/Medicaid patients, do not plan on getting an appointment quickly. Sadly, that will not happen very often. Indeed, if you need quick care, the emergency room is likely to be your only recourse.

To track down Medicare/Medicaid providers, you can contact your local health department or social service agencies to find out more information and there are a number of Medicare and Medicaid doctor directories online. While they cannot guarantee you an appointment, they do have access to information about current providers.

You can also go to the Medicare website at Medicare.gov or call them at 800-633-4227 (TTY 877-486-2048) to find Medicare providers in your area, although there is no guarantee they will be accepting new patients. It is worth a try, though.

Also, managed care is probably a better bet than private practice. HMOs organized by private insurers have a practical interest in having HMO doctors taking government-insured patients, while Prepaid Health Plans (PHPs) are generally run by hospitals or medical schools, and often only accept Medicaid patients.

Medicare & Medicaid Doctor Directory - How to Find Doctors Who Accept Medicare and Medicaid

To learn more about your Medicaid or Medicare health benefits and for many more informative and helpful articles and guides, such as how to choose the right Medicare plan, visit the Medicare Newsline today at http://medicarenewsline.com

Visit : Natural body spa