ACA no repeal, no reform, just slow death

[william the wie]

Doctors can refuse insurance, including obamacare. Medicaid is often turned down, you have to go to whoever will take it. I imagine hospitals would be able to do the same?

Yes Mayo clinic does just that with medicare unless you are one of its retirees or volunteers.

Only a few hospitals in the US don't except Medicare, primarily VA hospitals and Shriners. The reason why is pretty simple.

60% of the hospitals are nonprofit hospitals, many of which depend on endowments and government grants. With approximate 1/3 of the hospital beds in the US being occupied by Medicare patients, turning down Medicare is simply not an option for most hospitals particular when you consider that about 40% of the people covered by Medicare have other insurance in addition to Medicare which will cover almost all of their hospital bill not paid by Medicare.

Many hospitals are faced with cuts in Medicare reimbursements if they don't improve their outcomes measured by readmission within 30 days and a number of other criteria. For hospitals that excel, their reimbursement rate will increase. Most hospitals will improve their patient outcomes rather drop Medicare.

BTW Mayo Clinic does accept Medicare. However, it doesn't accept Medicare-approved payment amount as full payment of physician services. On a $1150 bill, the patients responsibility is likely to be $150.

Medicare information for Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Anything but full payment is considered to be not accepting and the way it works or at least did work at Mayo Jacksonville is that the patient waits the 180-270 days for the bill to be paid.

 

[Flopper]

Yes Mayo clinic does just that with medicare unless you are one of its retirees or volunteers.

Only a few hospitals in the US don't except Medicare, primarily VA hospitals and Shriners. The reason why is pretty simple.

60% of the hospitals are nonprofit hospitals, many of which depend on endowments and government grants. With approximate 1/3 of the hospital beds in the US being occupied by Medicare patients, turning down Medicare is simply not an option for most hospitals particular when you consider that about 40% of the people covered by Medicare have other insurance in addition to Medicare which will cover almost all of their hospital bill not paid by Medicare.

Many hospitals are faced with cuts in Medicare reimbursements if they don't improve their outcomes measured by readmission within 30 days and a number of other criteria. For hospitals that excel, their reimbursement rate will increase. Most hospitals will improve their patient outcomes rather drop Medicare.

BTW Mayo Clinic does accept Medicare. However, it doesn't accept Medicare-approved payment amount as full payment of physician services. On a $1150 bill, the patients responsibility is likely to be $150.

Medicare information for Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Anything but full payment is considered to be not accepting and the way it works or at least did work at Mayo Jacksonville is that the patient waits the 180-270 days for the bill to be paid.

Not accepting Medicare means you do not accept Medicare patients and will not submit claims to Medicare. There are many doctors that don't accept new Medicare patients. So unless you plan to pay their services yourself, forget it. Not accepting Medicare assignment means the patient is responsible for what Medicare doesn't pay. There's a big difference. If you have supplemental insurance as many people, it will pay what Medicare doesn't pay. Some doctors are adding fees, such as facility fees and they clearly state that Medicare will not pay these fees and the patient is responsible.