| It is very difficult to watch TV or read a newspaper | | | | medicare patients or limiting the amount they will treat |
| and not be aware of our country's medical crisis. It is | | | | in their practice. You will now have to search far and |
| even more an issue as our baby boomer population | | | | wide for a doctor that will accept your coverage. |
| reaches retirement and starts to rely more and more | | | | As a result of fewer and fewer doctors being willing |
| on medicare and medicaid. To most of their surprise it | | | | to accept medicare and medicaid more and more |
| is becoming more and more difficult to find a general | | | | patients are looking for government funded clinics or |
| practitioner or specialist who will accept medicare or | | | | are even resorting to going to emergency rooms |
| medicaid. | | | | when it is not an emergency. It is the law that an |
| Get Free: Medicare Medicaid Doctor | | | | emergency room can not turn a patient away |
| This crisis is occurring because medicare and medicaid | | | | because of insurance. If they only realized |
| have been cutting back on the amount they are willing | | | | compensating doctors properly would save money in |
| to pay to the doctors for their services. At the same | | | | the long run. |
| time they are asking for more and more paperwork | | | | If you are a medicare medicaid patient you can expect |
| from the doctors resulting in more expenses with | | | | to spend long hours on the phone looking for a doctor |
| lower returns. | | | | that will accept your coverage. I suggest you speak to |
| How to: Find a Doctor | | | | other medicare/ medicaid patients and see what |
| Another is is that private insurers are no longer willing | | | | doctors they use. Don't expect to get an appointment |
| to subsidize public patients by paying significantly higher | | | | quickly. If your health is truly in danger I suggest you do |
| rates to doctors, therefore shifting some of the costs | | | | go to an emergency room. |
| to them. | | | | You may also want to check with your local health |
| All of this is resulting in a crisis when more and more | | | | department or one of the many social service |
| doctors are choosing not to be a part of the system. | | | | agencies in your area. They may be able to |
| There was a time when you just looked in the yellow | | | | recommend a doctor that will take medicare/medicaid |
| pages or got a reference for a doctor catering to your | | | | coverage. Just don't give up, taking care of your health |
| specific needs. Those days are gone. More and more | | | | is very important as you get older. |
| doctors are either refusing to accept any new | | | | |