The question in the health care reform debate is not whether Medicaid and providers will be affected by changes, but rather how they will be affected. The goal of Barack Obama’s health care reform plan is to reduce the number of uninsured Americans. Doing so will cost money.
The News-Leader reports that under the president’s plan, uninsured people with low incomes would be covered by Medicaid. Lawmakers have grappled over expanding Medicaid for years, and the debate will only grow louder if the plan is approved. (Source)
Under the House version of the bill, 11 million more Americans would receive Medicaid coverage at a cost of $438 billion over 10 years. The federal government would fund the program 100 percent through 2014. States are concerned about the consequences of such an expansion on their budgets.
Some primary care physicians are dealing with growing costs by charging fees to provide personalized, or concierge, care. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that primary care doctors are reducing the number of patients and charging remaining patients around $2,000 annually. Included in the fee are annual physicals, 24/7 access by phone and e-mail, same-day/next-day appointments, and a CD containing personal medical records. The fee isn’t covered by insurance or Medicare. (Source)
