Ohio physicians worried about reduction in Medicare payments

An article in the News Herald describes how Ohio doctors are worried about a proposed 9.9% reduction in payments to physicians who accept Medicare, which is slated to occur on January 1, 2008. (Source: "Doctors not liking prognosis" Sept. 23, 2007.) According to the article, an informal survey of 25 physicians in Lake County found that "17 of the 25 respondents said they would eliminate services to Medicare patients altogether if the cuts go through. The 25 physicians care for about 55,000 patients in Lake County."

The informal survey, conducted by Dr. Jay Taylor and Dr. Frank Jevnikar of the Lake County Medical Society, mirrors an earlier study by the American Medical Association (AMA). In that study, the AMA surveyed 8,955 physicians and found that "sixty percent of the respondents said they plan to limit the number of new Medicare patients they treat" if the reductions in payments go through. Congress is currently debating whether to allow the proposed Medicare payment reductions to proceed.