Search Results for: doctor

Doctor’s Exam Rooms are Getting Crowded

Bob Vineyard · May 29, 2014 ·

Have you noticed your doctor’s exam rooms getting a bit crowded lately? Your private conversations are no longer private. Someone else is listening in and recording your discussion.

Exam Rooms Getting Crowded

In case you haven’t noticed, routine questions in your doctor’s office are not the same as before. While you are waiting to see your doctor you may be asked to complete a survey. This goes beyond your doctor’s concern for your well being. Many of these questions are now required by law.

Your answers are recorded and sent off to Washington for their massive database.

Do you use tobacco?
Do you use illegal drugs, including marijuana?
Do you have multiple sex partners?
How often do you have sex?
Do you drink alcoholic beverages? How many per day? What kind (wine, beer, cocktail)?
How often do you exercise?
Do you have trouble sleeping?
Do you have thoughts of suicide?

Some survey’s are several pages long and very intrusive.

CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) wants this information so they can decide the most cost effective treatment plan that will be approved for Medicare and Medicaid patients. Washington figures if they are paying your medical bills they have a right to know what works and what doesn’t.

If you really want to know more, you can read about the IPAB here.

Briefly, the IPAB is the Independent Payment Advisory Board. This 15 member panel of politically appointed “experts” are responsible for reviewing medical records and treatment plans then making recommendations on what is cost effective and what isn’t.

In other words, your treatment would be decided by a bureaucracy, not your doctor.

But wait, there’s more!

Your State Legislature is Listening as Well

Intrusion in doctor’s exam rooms is not just nosy people at the federal level, your state wants a piece of the action as well.

The difference here is, some states are seeking to PROTECT your rights to privacy.

Florida has made it illegal for physicians to ask whether there are guns in the home. This matters. People who live in a home with a gun are three times more likely to be murdered–most frequently from domestic disputes.

In Connecticut, one of my patients was a middle-aged woman living with her schizophrenic son. He occasionally muttered he wanted to kill her. “Do you have a gun in the home?” I asked. This was important. It would change how likely he was to succeed in his wish. A gun with bullets in the home would increase her chances of dying dramatically.

“Yes,” she said. “I keep a loaded gun on me at all times.” She ignored my advice to get the gun out of her home. Or at least take the bullets out. “It makes me feel safe,” she said. That was her right as a patient, to ignore my advice. It was my duty as a physician to let her know the increased health risks.

After violence escalated in the home, and her son stabbed her with scissors, undeterred by the gun, my patient decided for herself to get rid of the gun before he used it on her or she used it on him.

Kevin MD

Admittedly, some questions can be beneficial to the health of the patient. At the same time, someone who is determined to commit a violent act will not be deterred by attempts to restrict access to firearms.

If laws protected people from violence there would be no crime.

Listening In

The next time you are in the doctors exam rooms, keep this in mind. Not all of your answers will stay within the confines of your doctor’s files. Someone else may be listening.

Georgia Medicare Plans – your one stop resource for Medigap advice and instant rate quotes.

Find Medicare Doctors

Bob Vineyard · March 6, 2013 · Leave a Comment

How do I find Medicare doctors in Georgia? Many doctors are opting out of Medicare, or refusing to accept new patients. Why is this happening and what can I do to find a GA doctor that accepts Medicare patients? Doc fix is part of the problem.

Many Georgia seniors are finding it increasingly difficult to find Medicare doctors willing to treat them.

While there is a lot of chatter about funding Medicare to keep it viable, many seniors are faced with a more immediate problem. This round-robin discussion about the difficulting in finding doctors willing to treat Medicare patients is of interest to many. Finding primary care Medicare doctors is a crisis.

Nancy Martin moved to Lubbock, TX and spent hours on the phone, trying to find Medicare doctors that were taking on new patients.

NANCY MARTIN, Texas: I said, I’m Nancy Martin. I have just recently moved to Austin. I am looking for a physician that will take a new Medicare patient. Sorry, we don’t take any new Medicare people.

I felt frustration, disappointment, I would say despair, a lot of days, just get to the point where I thought, I’m never going to find a doctor in Austin. What do you think I will have to do? I don’t know.

RAY SUAREZ: Martin has high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

NANCY MARTIN: If I had something bad, I just went to the emergency room.

RAY SUAREZ: After two years of searching, Martin finally found a primary care physician.

PBS

Two years!

Lubbock is a town of more than 230,000 yet it took Nancy two years to find doctors that take Medicare. Seniors in Georgia are faced with the same challenge.

LOU GOODMAN: And in 2000, we had about almost 80 percent of the doctors were taking new Medicare patients. We just completed a survey last year, and we found that less than 60 percent were taking them. Almost 20 percent fewer doctors are taking new Medicare patients. And that really troubled us.

RAY SUAREZ: Goodman says the primary reason doctors are not taking new Medicare patients or opting out altogether is because of something called the sustainable growth rate.

It’s a mathematical formula established by Congress in 1997 to contain rising Medicare costs. But, in practice, it would have cut government payments to physicians for treating Medicare patients every year since 2001. So, every year, Congress at the last minute passes the so-called doc fix, averting the cuts and giving doctors a small raise.

The annual doc fix and the threats of lower reimbursements in the future have left some doctors insecure and unwilling to take on more Medicare patients.

Doc fix in Congress’ way of addressing a long term problem. Rather than fixing the problem THEY created in 1997 they go through a yearly ritual of delaying corrections to the formula leaving doctor and patient in the lurch.

Doctors have no idea how much they will be paid by Medicare to treat patients.

Medicare patients have no idea if their doctor will continue to see them.

And the problem is not just finding Medicare doctors.

RAY SUAREZ: Last year, the Austin Regional Clinic, or ARC, bit the bullet and stopped taking new Medicare patients.

ARC, one of the largest health care groups in Central Texas, serves more than 400,000 area residents. Dropping Medicare wasn’t something the health system wanted to do, but CEO Dr. Norman Chenven says it was an economic necessity.

DR. NORMAN CHENVEN, Austin Regional Clinic: The issue was really one about survival.

It’s really time and materials that it takes to provide care to someone. We can pretty much predict that if our Medicare population grows beyond a certain percentage that our profitability is going to go away.

Profits have become a dirty word, used by politicians to demonize private industry. But if a doctor or hospital loses money by treating Medicare patients, you cannot expect them to continue offering services.

About 10,000 seniors turn 65 every day and many of them will begin the journey to find Medicare doctors willing to treat them.

Footnote: Less than half the doctors in Georgia accept Medicare Advantage plans. Even when you find a doctor willing to accept Medicare Advantage patients, they may not take your particular MA plan.

You can improve your odds by opting for original Medicare and a Medicare supplement plan. Georgia Medicare plans helps seniors choose from the lowest cost Medigap plans in the state. With our help, you can find a Medicare supplement plan that meets your needs and budget.

When you pay more you don’t get more, you simply paid too much.

#FindMedicareDoctors

#Age65EnrollInMedicare

#Age65SignUpForMedicare

Finding a Medicare Doctor

Bob Vineyard · January 25, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Are you having trouble finding a Medicare doctor in your area? Most doctors participate in Medicare, so finding a doctor normally isn’t an issue.

There are several routes to finding a Medicare doctor. Here are a few suggestions.

If you have a regular physician, ask them if they accept Medicare assignment
Maybe you moved to a new area and need a new doctor. Ask your prior doctor for a referral. You can also ask neighbors, relatives and friends.
Go online and use the Medicare Physician Finder. This valuable resource also allows you to compare hospitals and other medical providers in your area.
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and ask for assistance.

There are several keys to finding a Medicare doctor.

The first is to ask if the doctor is accepting new patients. The annual Medicare doc fix is frustrating to doctors and patients alike. As a result, some doctors are limiting the number of Medicare patients they are willing to accept.

Once you find a doctor, ask them if they accept Medicare assignment.

If you have original Medicare and a Medigap plan, finding a Medicare doctor is much easier than it is for those who bought a Medicare Advantage plan. Almost every doctor and hospital participates in Medicare but less than half the doctors in Georgia accept Medicare Advantage plans. Even if you find a Medicare Advantage doctor, they may not take your particular plan.

Georgia Medicare Plans specializes in low cost, affordable Medicare supplement plans. Click to get a no obligation Medigap quote.

If you feel you cannot afford to see a doctor, there may be free or reduced cost medical clinics in your area. The Georgia Free Clinic Network is a great resource.

Patient assistance programs are available to seniors who cannot afford their medication. Three very good programs include:

Needy Meds

PPARx

RxAssist

We also suggest using Canadian pharmacy’s as a way of saving money. Our long time favorite is Blue Sky Drugs.

Please contact us if you have any questions about Medicare or Medigap plans. Georgia Medicare Plans can help you in finding a Medicare doctor and a low cost Medigap plan.

Find a Doctor That Takes Medicare

Bob Vineyard · January 20, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Do you need to find a doctor that takes Medicare? Sometimes it isn’t easy. Are you turning 65? Does your doctor take Medicare? Most doctors do treat Medicare patients but many doctors are not taking NEW Medicare patients or will put you on a list and let you know when there is an opening.

In 2010, 75% of Medicare beneficiaries said they didn’t have a problem getting a doctor’s appointment for routine care, according to this year’s annual report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an independent congressional agency. The numbers were even better for people who needed immediate access to a doctor because of an illness or injury.

L A Times

That was then.

This is now.

Medicare Doctor

If you’re having a hard time finding a doctor who accepts Medicare, there are resources available to help you. For starters, check out the Physician Compare tool on Medicare.gov by going to the “Facilities and Doctors” tab on the home page and clicking on “Find a Doctor.” There you can search for providers by specialty type and ZIP Code.

Just because a doctor is listed on the site does not mean they are taking new patients. Call and ask. Also ask if they take Medicare assignment.

You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE if you do not have access to the internet. Medicare service reps answer the phone 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, except for federal holidays. Yes, you really can talk to a live person at 3:00 AM.

All doctors that accept Medicare assignment will also take ANY Medicare supplement plan (Medigap) from ANY carrier.

That is not the case if you have a Medicare Advantage plan. Most doctors in Georgia do not take ANY Medicare Advantage plans and the ones that do may not accept YOUR plan.

#MedicareDoctor #MedicareAssignment #MedicarePhysicianFinder #1800Medicare #Turning65

Georgia Medicare Plans – Will My Doctor Take This Plan?

Bob Vineyard · January 10, 2013 · Leave a Comment

How do I know if my Georgia doctor will take my Medicare supplement plan? Should I buy from Blue Cross or AARP if I want to keep my doctor? I want to still see my doctor any time I want. I don’t want an insurance company telling me which doctor I can see and which I can.

Question – I called Medicare and they said the Medicare supplement plan we discussed is not approved by them. Why would you try to sell me something not approved by Medicare?

Answer – Medicare’s response is only half right. You currently have original Medicare plus a Medicare supplement plan F. The plan we discussed is identical in every way to your current Medicare supplement plan F except our proposed premium is much lower. Medigap plans are regulated by the state of Georgia, Department of Insurance, not by Medicare. You can verify if this company, and this plan is approved in Georgia by calling (800) 656-2298. You can also go online to the Georgia DOI website and see if a Medigap company is approved to offer business in Georgia.

Back to the Medicare response being half right . . .

The Medigap company we discussed does not write Medicare Advantage plans in Georgia. Medicare Advantage replaces original Medicare with a private insurance plan. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, many times you can only use certain doctors that are in their network. Your doctor may not be in their network or may not accept Medicare Advantage patients. Also, with a Medicare Advantage plan an insurance company, not your doctor, determines what treatment is right for them, not necessarily what is right for you.

Since the company we talked about does not offer Medicare Advantage plans, the person you spoke to at Medicare was right. This company is not approved by Medicare to write Medicare Advantage plans in your area.

If you want to leave original Medicare and drop your Medigap plan to pick up coverage by a Medicare Advantage plan, I will not be able to help you. In my opinion there are too many problems with Medicare Advantage plans to make me feel comfortable recommending them to my clients.

Question – I have never heard of (this) Medicare supplement insurance company. How do I know my doctor will accept this Medigap plan?

Answer – If your doctor accepts assignment of Medicare benefits then there is no problem with this, or any other Medigap insurance plan. When you visit your doctor they electronically file a claim direct with Medicare. Once Medicare reviews and approves the claim it electronically crosses over to your Medigap carrier that is on file with Medicare. Your Medigap carrier is then obligated to pay their portion of the claim not paid by Medicare according to the terms of their contract.

Affordable Medicare Supplement Insurance in Georgia

Georgia Insurance Shop has the lowest rates for Medigap plans in Georgia. We can compare rates from AARP, Blue Cross, Gerber and more so you know you will have the lowest possible rate for your Medicare supplement insurance plan. Check to see how much money you can save with a new Medicare supplement plan.