THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 10, 1994 TAG: 9409090017
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
I read with interest the article by Debra Gordon about Medicare and physician participation.
It is sad but true that a large number of physicians in our state no longer accept Medicare patients. These people can say what they will but it does indeed appear to be a matter of dollars, as nicely outlined in your chart.
I have to disagree with the physicians' assessment that you cannot ``make a living'' taking care of Medicare patients since my colleagues and I here on the Eastern Shore care for a large number of Medicare patients, who make up almost 65 percent of our practice. We see any and all patients who need our services without regard to what kind of insurance they have (or even if they have insurance). To my knowledge, in the nine years this practice has been in existence we have not refused care to a patient based on the patient's financial status.
Admittedly, we all earn substantially less than our urban colleagues, in part because we do see so many Medicare patients.
We nonetheless earn a good living and enjoy our practice here on the Eastern Shore. The financial health and stability of this corporation are proof that you can make a living taking care of Medicare patients. Physicians who use the reimbursement as an excuse for not caring for Medicare patients are ``skimming'' the high-paying patients and letting everyone else fend for themselves. This is not in the best tradition of American medical practice, but, then, lots of things that are being done these days are not.
JAMES L. McDANIEL, M.D.
Nassawadox, Aug. 29, 1994 by CNB