Finding a primary care doctor becomes increasingly difficult for some Medicare beneficiaries

March 6th, 2013

PBS Newshour recently reported that some seniors in South Austin, Texas are experiencing difficulty in finding a primary care physician that accepts Medicare. One Medicare beneficiary reported that after moving to Austin, she was unable to find a primary care physician for two years. In the interim, she utilized hospital emergency rooms when she had a “really big problem.” Lou Goodman, the CEO of the Texas Medical Association, presents two reasons that seniors are experiencing difficulty in finding medical providers who accept Medicare. One reason he provides is that doctors are opting out of Medicare, and another reason is the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), a mathematical formula developed by Congress to contain rising Medicare costs. As reported by Kaiser Family Foundation, overall this is not the trend that is being experienced by all seniors. A survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation last year found that only 3% of Medicare beneficiaries had trouble finding a physician who accepts Medicare. The independent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission also looked into this issue last June. Of the six percent of seniors they surveyed that were looking for a new primary care physician, one in four reported a small or big problem in scheduling an appointment. Nevertheless, Goodman states that there is data on both sides, and overall there is a shortage of doctors to treat Medicare beneficiaries, especially with the rising numbers of people soon to become Medicare eligible. To view this video, please click here.