Monday, April 20, 2009

As Medicare is Set Adrift

The acceptance of Medicare is dwindling amongst primary care doctors in affluent neighborhoods. Case in point: a patient I saw in clinic recently for her arrhythmia said:
"Would you mind ordering a CBC and all the chemistries I need for my annual physical? My internist no longer takes Medicare."
So will subspecialists take up the slack as primary care doctors increasingly abandon the system?

Yep. At least for now.

But did I refill her Ambien (sleeping pill) prescription?

No. That I won't do as a heart rhythm specialist.

-Wes

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