The Medicare Patient Empowerment Act would allow patients to continue the relationship they have with their physician, even if the doctor does not participate in Medicare or is not taking new Medicare beneficiaries. Under the legislation, Medicare would pay the amount typically covered, with the patient responsible – or able to negotiate – any difference between the going Medicare rate and the physician's fees. It would also allow doctors to charge a lower rate for Medicare patients - a practice currently not permitted.
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This is a big deal, especially in Alaska where seniors have almost NO providers who will accept Medicare patients, because the cost of doing almost everything is higher here. I'm no fan of government medical programs, so this is an important step in the right direction: it would remove the stranglehold of the government from the process of allowing both physicians and patients to seek a free-market solution to the provision of health care.
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