Medicare physician payment cuts may result in poorer service, poll finds

WASHINGTON — Cuts in the amount Medicare pays physicians has caused almost 25% of physicians to place new limits on the number of Medicare patients they treat, according to results of an online survey.

The survey was conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Medical Association. Other key findings from the survey: 42% of physicians would not re-sign the Medicare participation agreement if additional cuts ensue, and 43% plan to defer equipment purchases. Twenty-six percent of respondents plan to stop providing certain services; 22% plan to refer complex cases; and 21% plan to lay-off staff.

Of the 60% of respondents who plan to make practice changes, 51% are doing so because of this year’s 5.4% Medicare cut, they said.

Results of a health care think-tank poll (April-August Project Hope) shows that 31% of physicians who participate in Medicare now limit the number of new fee-for-service patients they see — up from 24% in 1999. The Medicare Rights Center, a patient advocacy organization, recently cited 17 states where beneficiaries are having difficulty identifying physicians who accept new Medicare patients.