As Medicare reimbursement cuts loom, seniors and lawmakers worry
By Les Blumenthal | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — At 75 years old, Billie Cox has fallen and broken her ankle, had an elbow replacement and suffers the same aches and pains of many her age.
But Cox, a retired real estate agent who lives in Lacey, has a new medical problem -- her regular doctor says he will no longer see her or other Medicare patients if a 10.6 percent cut in physician reimbursement rates takes affect July 1 as scheduled.
And with less than two weeks to go, it remains uncertain whether Congress will act in time to reverse the rate reduction.
"It would be devastating, especially in a state like ours," said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. Medicare reimbursement rates in Washington state for doctors are already among the lowest in the nation, he noted.
The cuts in reimbursement rates could affect not only Washington state's more than 700,000 seniors, but also another 300,000 or so in the military-related TRICARE health care system. TRICARE's reimbursement rates for doctors are tied to Medicare's.
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