Democrats' Scheme to Fund Obamacare By Gutting Medicare Like a Fish Proceeds Apace

Remember the $500 billion in Medicare 'waste and abuse' that Democrats promised was there to help pay for Obamacare?

It still hasn't materialized, if you can imagine that.

No worries, though. We're just slashing reimbursements to the dwindling number of doctors who still treat Medicare patients instead.

Pot o' gold, found.

Want an appointment with kidney specialist Adam Weinstein of Easton, Md.? If you're a senior covered by Medicare, the wait is eight weeks.

How about a checkup from geriatric specialist Michael Trahos? Expect to see him every six months: The Alexandria-based doctor has been limiting most of his Medicare patients to twice yearly rather than the quarterly checkups he considers ideal for the elderly. Still, at least he'll see you. Top-ranked primary care doctor Linda Yau is one of three physicians with the District's Foxhall Internists group who recently announced they will no longer be accepting Medicare patients.

"It's not easy. But you realize you either do this or you don't stay in business," she said.

Doctors across the country describe similar decisions, complaining that they've been forced to shift away from Medicare toward higher-paying, privately insured or self-paying patients in response to years of penny-pinching by Congress.

For some unknown reason, Obama remains extraordinarily proud of the mess he's made.



Cross-posted.