Connecticut Insurance

Medicare, the Federal Republic of health insurance for the elderly, doctors will pay 59 percent of what private insurance companies to pay, and this gap can be compromised access to care for Medicare beneficiaries “A federal advisory commission, said today.

The gap has in the past five years, and President Clinton on health plan could, furthermore, the group said, the doctor Payment Review Commission. In 1989, Medicare pays 68 percent of doctors as much as private insurers paid.

The 13-member Commission, founded in 1986, Congress deliberates on paying doctors under Medicare and Medicaid, which account for more than 65 million people. Commission recommendations be taken seriously by Congress, who has spent most of his suggestions.

Judith N. Brown, president of the American Association of Retired Persons, said: “As a retired move to a new area, they often have difficulties in finding a doctor who them. It is always difficult to find doctors , Put people when they “Reuse in Medicare. “Long regarded as insufficient

Medicare has less and less generous than private insurers in the payment of doctors. But government figures show that Medicare was 85 percent to pay as much as private insurers in 1970.

Howard B. Shapiro, director of public order, the American College of Physicians, 80000 internists, said the trend is documented by the Commission, has been a concern. “Medicare payment levels are beginning to move closer to Medicaid payment levels”, which has long been considered inadequate, he said.

Arzthonoraren Medicaid, the Federation and the Länder for low-income people, are very different from State to State. On average, the Commission, Medicaid pays 47 percent of physicians what private insurers pay.

Medicaid payments to doctors in recent years, mainly because of a federal law that States are forced to increase payments by the paediatric cardiology and obstetrical services. A growing gap

“The doctors continue to serve as a new disease patients,” said the Commission. But he added: “The gap between the disease and payments of private insurers is more and more”, and these differences may be some access to care for patients that doctors take patients with the private sector ‘ insurance preferably before the receiver. Black, Hispanic and people with disabilities has already received the report difficulties care disease, the group said.

The gap between the disease and private insurance is partly a result of success in slowing the growth of health spending for doctors. “Such expenditure rose 4.8 per cent per annum from 1989 to 1993, compared to 12, 1 per cent per annum from 1980 to 1989. In recent years, private insurers have been much larger increases in fees for doctors as sickness admissible.

The Commission explained that stricter limit values for payments of illness of President Clinton, the divide, so that by the year 2000, Medicare, doctors pay only 43 per cent to 52 per cent of what pay private insurers. Downs and ups charges

In his report to Congress, the Commission from these points:

* A disease of taxes, occurred during the year 1992, doctors redistribution of income. Payments by service increased by 17 per cent for doctors and general practitioners, but only 2 percent for internists. For surgeons, payment rate of 8% decreased.

* Medicare pays 54 percent of physicians that commercial insurance companies and 69 per cent fee for Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans.

* The volume of physician services in all Medicare beneficiaries have increased on average about 50 percent from 1986 to 1993. Variations in figures

Dr. John M. Eisenberg, chairman of the Commission, said that some because of the rise was the new technology would “certainly”. For example, he said, doctors, endoscopic procedures, the screen of the intestine of patients with cancer and many other procedures with balloon angioplasty to open small coronary arteries.

The study revealed great differences in Medicaid payments to doctors in different countries. In New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island, he said, Medicaid fee levels are more than half the national average. In Alaska, Arizona and Wyoming, Medicaid fees are at least 25 percent above the national average. In Connecticut, Medicaid payments to doctors are roughly the same as the national average.