Would Rationing by Any Other Name Be as Painful?
This appeared in a Wall Street Journal editorial:
Beginning in 2015, Medicare would rank doctors against their peers based on how much they cost the program – and then automatically cut all payments by 5% to anyone who falls into the 90th percentile or above.
Since there will always be a missing chair when the music stops, every year one of 10 physicians will be punished if he orders too many tests, performs too many procedures or prescribes too many drugs – whether or not the treatments result in better patient outcomes. The 5% fine is substantial given that Medicare’s price controls already pay only 83 cents on the private dollar.
Hardest hit: cardiology and oncology.
Sounds very, very bad.
Sounds like a plan to penalize doctors who treat lots of sick patients.
Doctors who treat relatively healthy patients will make out okay.
I agree with Brian.
As we can see Cardiology and Oncology will be hardest hit. Heart disease and cancer are our two main causes of premature deaths. How many lifes will be loss because of these cuts? Testing and treatment should be based on appropiate criteria and not penalized because of what some may consider excess use.
This is very worrisome.