As of 2008, doctors who treat Medicare patients will face cuts of 5 to 10 percent in their reimbursements from the federal government. President Bush's budget for fiscal year 2008 proposed savings of $70 billion on Medicare and Medicaid over the next five years.
With drastic cuts , some policymakers have devised a plan to reduce Medicare while ensuring that Medicare patients still have access to quality services. As Medicare is presently set up, doctors get paid based on their quantity of services rather than quality.
In late 2006, legislators approved a new pay-for-performance system that will allow Medicare to pay doctors a 1.5 percent bonus for providing information about the type and quality of their services. This voluntary program is set to begin in July 2007. With the help of data gathered in the reporting phase, program administrators plan to work with medical experts to set clinical guidelines for quality care. Over the long term, supporters of this legislation want Medicare to reward superior doctors and hospitals that provide quality, cost-effective treatment for Medicare beneficiaries.
I think medicare is for people who can afford it. It should not be ensured because then the country just goes farther into debt. We need no more debt in the U.S. , we have enough and should not have to suffer the debt in tax dollars. The people who can afford healthcare should be the ones who can get medicare. I believe the pay for the performance plan just like Nancy Pelosi does.
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