>> 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