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Article: Medicare patients struggle to find doctors
- Article from:
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI)
- Article date:
- July 20, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2003 The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Medicare patients struggle to find doctors
Physicians deterred by low rates of reimbursement
By TONY PUGH Knight Ridder News Service
Sunday, July 20, 2003
Washington -- For most of her life, Carol Senal never fretted
about finding a doctor. Her father was a doctor, her ex-husband is a
doctor and her son is a doctor.
But after moving to Chicago from New York earlier this year,
Senal, 67, was snubbed by two physicians, who refused to take her as
a new patient because she relies on Medicare, the federal health
insurance program for seniors, to pay her bills.
The problem is simple: Medicare doesn't fully repay doctors for
treating its patients, as the program's reimbursement fees haven't
kept up ...