Decide by Dec. 31 Whether to Stay in Medicare, Societies Say

Via Hype And Fail 

As the threat of a massive cut in Medicare reimbursement on January 1 becomes more real, 2 medical societies are reminding their members that they have until December 31 to decide how they want to participate in the program — if at all — next year.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American College of Physicians (ACP) are not suggesting that physicians bail out of Medicare. Their guidance, recently posted on their Web sites, merely states that physicians should know their options.

However, organized medicine has repeatedly warned Congress that if it fails to avert a huge cut in Medicare pay, droves of physicians would quit the program, leaving many seniors in a medical lurch. Military families also would experience less access to care, because their TRICARE coverage is based on the Medicare fee schedule.

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