Article: UNDERFUNDING HEALTH CARE IS DANGEROUS.(OPINION)(Letter to the editor)

Someone has noticed the elephant in the room. Friday's guest column by Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Green Bay, points out that Medicare, run by the federal government, pitifully underpays medical providers. The result is that charges to the working sector have been increased to cover the shortfall.

Those under age 65 may think that Medicare pays the doctor and hospital bills of the elderly. The last time I had an outpatient surgical procedure, the doctor and hospital were paid about one third of their charges. One consequence of this underpayment is that medical providers are starting to refuse to see Medicare patients.

Any politician who proposes a federal ...

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