Medicare patients may soon discover they won’t be able to see a doctor when they need one.
A report by Frazier and Foster (2009) examine how difficult it is for Medicare beneficiaries in Alaska to find a primary care doctor.
“About 85% [of primary-car doctors in Alaska] choose the standard Medicare process (“participating”). Another 4% still work with the Medicare system but charge patients somewhat more (“non-participating”). The final 11% have opted out of the Medicare system , but will still see patients who agree to foot the bill.”
In Anchorage, however, fewer than three out of every four doctors accepts Medicare patients and only 13 percent of Anchorage primary care physicians accept new Medicare patients.
Healthcare Economist, “If you have Medicare, will your doctor refuse to treat you?”, August, 2012
Seniors in Georgia with original Medicare and a Medicare supplement plan have a much easier time of finding doctors willing to treat Medicare patients than those who have a Medicare Advantage plan. Are you paying too much for your Medigap plan? Georgia Medicare Plans offers free instant quotes for Medicare supplement insurance.
