Trapped on the sinking ship named Medicare

Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and a member of Samaritan Ministries, wrote in a Washington Times op-ed piece why some people, both patients and doctors, really want out of Medicare—and how government makes it difficult.

Something, of course, needs to be done because the overloaded Medicare ship is sinking. Wouldn’t it make sense to let willing people off the ship? Why shouldn’t we encourage people to spend their own money on medical care instead of burdening an overstressed system?

The fact is the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) apparently wants to trap Medicare beneficiaries on the sinking ship. It is acting as though American citizens, once they sign up for Medicare Part B, are not allowed to buy a “covered” service from a physician who does not file a claim for it. The government is having to borrow 40 cents out of every dollar it spends, but it still threatens physicians with a fine of $2,000 for turning down government money – at least if they accept any payment from the patient. ...

If we let some patients pay for medical care the way they pay for groceries, we’ll find out the true free-market price. Apparently, that is a terrifying prospect to somebody. That would explain the threat to use the law enforcement powers of the federal government against Medicare-free doctors.