% >> FOR "HERE & NOW", I'M ADITT
% FROM KEN OSHA.
% >> Frederica: TALK OF CUTTING
% BACK ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND
% MEDICARE DOCTORS ARE CRYING FOUL
% HOW PAYMENTS AREN'T KEEPING
% PACE.
% PHYSICIANS HAVE BEEN LOBBYING
% CONGRESS SAYING PATIENT CARE
% COULD BE AT RISK.
% WE TALK WITH A PHYSICIAN AND
% CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF THE
% WISCONSIN SOCIETY THANK YOU FOR
% BEING HERE.
% DOCTORS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
% HOW MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT RATES
% ARE TOO LOW.
% WHAT'S THE STATUS?
% >> WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS
% 20, 30 YEARS AND SOMETHING WE'D
% GO TO CONGRESS AND TALK ABOUT
% BECAUSE AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT IF
% OUR PRACTICES RIGHT-HANDS AREN'
% FUNDED WE WON'T BE AROUND AND WE
% TALKED ABOUT PAYMENTS AND IT
% HADN'T CHANGED IN 20, 30 YEARS.
% UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S STILL NOT
% ADEQUATE.%WE'VE BEEN THROUGH
A DIFFICULT
% TIME THE PAST THREE YEARS AND
% WE'VE HAD PAYMENT CUTS THAT ARE
% SET TO GO INTO PLACE THIS YEAR
% ALREADY AND THIS IS WHEN WE'RE
% ALREADY AT RATES BASICALLY 1980
% TYPE OF RATES THAT HAD NOT BEEN
% ADJUSTED.%LET ALONE ADJUSTED
FOR THE
% INFLATION THAT WE'VE HAD.
% IF YOU LOOK AT REAL DOLLARS,
% PHYSICIANS HAVE ALREADY HAD A
% 22% CUT IN THE PAST 20 YEARS.
% >> Frederica: DESCRIBE HOW THAT
% AFFECTS PATIENT CARE?
% >> THAT ABSOLUTELY AFFECTS
% PATIENT CARE.
% OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE PATIENT
% TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CHOICE AND
% SEE THE DOCTOR CLOSE TO THEM.
% THE DOCTOR THEY CHOOSE.
% AND WHAT HAPPENS IS PARTICULARLY
% IN RURAL AREAS OR UNDER SERVED
% AREAS WE HAVE DOCTORS' OFFICE
% WHO'S ARE BASICALLY SMALL
% BUSINESSES AND THEY HAVE
% PRIMARILY PATIENTS THAT ARE
% MEDICARE THAT THE PAYMENT IS
% UNDER WHAT THEY WOULD GET FOR
% OTHER TYPES OF INSURANCE
% PRODUCTS, YOU HAVE CHOICES.
% YOU CAN TAKE LESS MEDICARE OR
% ULTIMATELY SOMETIMES PHYSICIAN
% HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR PRACTICES.
% AND WHEN THEY CLOSE THEIR
% PRACTICES THEY PROBABLY MOVE TO
% LESS RURAL AREAS WHERE THEY CAN
% BE BUSIER AND THAT CHOICE FOR
% THOSE PATIENTS IS LOST AND WHAT
% HAPPENS IS THE PATIENT HAS FEWER
% CHOICES AND OFTEN TIMES THE
% PATIENT HAS TO DRIVER FURTHER TO
% GET THE CARE THEY NEED.
% >> Frederica: CONGRESS GAVE TENS
% OF BILLIONS TO PHYSICIANS DURING
% THE PANDEMIC BUT THAT WAS ALL
% USED DURING THE TIME?
% >> THE PANDEMIC AS WE ALL
% LEARNED HAS BEEN CHALLENGING.
% WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER
% INCREASES IN PAY THAT WE'VE SEEN
% FROM THE GOVERNMENT, A LOT OF
% THAT PAID FOR NEW REQUIREMENTS
% OR NEW ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS
% THEY PUT IN OUR WAY.
% REAL DOLLARS AS I SAID BEFORE
% WE'VE PROBABLY CUT ABOUT 20% AND
% WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP A
% PRACTICE OPEN, WHEN YOU'RE
% HIRING NURSES AND OFFICE STAFF,
% IT'S A SMALL BUSINESS, IT'S JUST
% NOT SUSTAINABLE.
% >> Frederica: HOW HARD IS IT TO
% ENGENDER SYMPATHY FOR HIGHLY
% PAID PHYSICIANS THOUGH THEY'RE
% REGARDED AS THE HEALTH CARE
% HEROES OF THE PAST SEVERAL
% YEARS?%>> WE CONTINUE TO TALK
ABOUT
% THIS BEING PATIENT OPTIONS.
% IF THE PHYSICIAN ISN'T THERE AND
% THE PHYSICIAN IS AN IMPORTANT
% PART OF THE COMMUNITY OBVIOUSLY
% THEY DELIVER HEALTH WHICH AS WE
% LEARNED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS
% IS INVALUABLE.
% IF THE PHYSICIAN AND PRACTICE IS
% NOT THERE, THE PATIENTS SUFFER
% AND AREN'T ABLE TO SEE THEIR
% TRUSTED DOCTOR THEY'VE GOTTEN TO
% KNOW OVER TIME AND HAVE TO DRIVE
% FURTHER AND OFTEN TIMES IF YOU
% MAKE CARE LESS CONVENIENT, CARE
% DOESN'T HAPPEN.
% PEOPLE DON'T GET CARE UNTIL IT'S
% MORE CATASTROPHIC CARE WHERE
% LESS IS ABLE TO HAPPEN THAT CAN
% ARREST IT.
% SO WHAT HAPPENS IS ONCE THE
% PHYSICIANS GO, IF THAT'S WHAT
% HAPPENS, PATIENTS PAY THE PRICE.
% >> Frederica: SO APART FROM THE
% SPECIFIC LOBBYING EFFORTS AROUND
% THESE REIMBURSEMENT RATES LIKE
% NW, WHAT IS THE FEELING AMONG
% THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY AND THESE
% PHYSICIANS ABOUT THESE
% DISCUSSIONS IN WASHINGTON ABOUT
% CUTTING ENTITLEMENTS AS THEY'RE
% CALLED LIKE MEDICARE?
% >> IT'S AN IMPORTANT WAY FOR
% PATIENT TO GET GOOD CARE AND WE
% WANT THEM TO HAVE CHOICES TO GO
% TO THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL
% THEY WANT TO IN A WAY THAT'S
% CONVENIENT.
% WHEN I THINK WITH THE NUMBERS
% BEING CUT, OBVIOUSLY WE THINK
% ABOUT THE RATES BEING CUT.
% WE THINK ABOUT THE IDEA THAT
% IT'S GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT
% FOR PEOPLE TO GET TREATMENT AND
% AS WE'VE SEEN PARTICULARLY EARLY
% ON IN THE PANDEMIC, WHEN PEOPLE
% PUT TREATMENT OFF, BAD THINGS
% HAPPEN.
% >> Frederica: HOW HAVE LOBBYING
% EFFORTS BEEN MET BY
% CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS
% PARTICULARLY WISCONSIN?
% >> WE VISITED ALL THE OFFICES
% THAT WERE OPEN TO US.
% WE VISITED MOST OFFICES AND EVEN
% IN A TIME SO CONTENTIOUS AS
% THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF
% AGREEMENT.
% THERE'S A LOT OF AGREEMENT
% MEDICARE SHOULD BE HELD SAFE.
% THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD.
% WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT PATIENTS
% SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE CHOICE.
% WE'RE BEING TOLD PHYSICIANS
% SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF
% PATIENTS WITH MEDICARE WITHOUT
% HAVING TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS.
% WITHOUT WORRY OF KEEPING THE
% LIGHTS ON.
% WHETHER YOU'RE DEMOCRAT OR
% REPUBLICAN YOU'RE AGREEING WITH