submitted 10 months ago by InevitableSwing@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

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[-] Doubledee@hexbear.net 8 points 10 months ago

My understanding is that Medicare has the clout to force providers to accept lower prices, that's part of what makes the program viable. They say what they're going to pay and if you want to treat any meemaws and pawpaws you have to take what they're giving you. Since the prices are so inflated anyway it doesn't really hurt anything except the size of the margins.

[-] plinky@hexbear.net 3 points 10 months ago

That true, but for example, has medicaid payments increased or not in the same timeframe? Maybe general load has dropped, thus each individual doctors may get less. You can twist data in lots of ways

[-] Saeculum@hexbear.net 2 points 10 months ago

As far as I understand it, doctors can chose to stop accepting Medicare patients at all, focusing on the now far more lucrative private patients. This restricts the number and quality of doctors available to people on Medicaid.