What Happens if Your Doctor Stops Taking Medicare?

Across the country, some doctors have begun to stop accepting Medicare. If this is the health insurance policy that you rely on–as the vast majority of senior citizens in the U.S. do–this can leave you and your family in a really difficult position.

 

Medicare is the largest health insurance organization in the United States. About 68 million people in the U.S. rely on this insurance for their medical and hospitalization insurance. The populations served are older Americans, along with disabled individuals. This insurance is designed to serve the people in our country who are vulnerable because they are older or otherwise unable to work.

 

If your doctor stops accepting Medicare, you have options. The first is to see who or what providers your existing doctor recommends. They may have a plan already put in place to help you get connected without any sort of lapse in your coverage and care.

 

 

There are other options. You can speak to your doctor about price negotiation and pay out of pocket. You can ask your pharmacist for direction on what other providers are out there. You can also search for your community or ask friends and family. This can be overwhelming, but your community resources can help you get connected.

 

Doctors don’t have to accept Medicare or Medi-Cal policies. While it opens up the door to many more patients for most providers, these public based health insurance policies tend to not pay as much as other insurance companies do. For some doctors, it’s becoming difficult to accept lower payments because of the stipulations around Medicare payments. While it puts patients in a difficult spot, it is the primary reason why providers are opting out. Additionally, some providers are seeing that payments to them are delayed because these public insurance companies are not paying them in a timely manner. 

 

In reality, only less than two percent of doctors end up opting out of accepting Medicare. The odds that this will happen to you are very low. But if it does, there is help out there.

 

But still, paying for their care is one of the biggest concerns that seniors have as they age. How will I be able to pay for my senior care? Does health insurance cover this cost? What if I can no longer afford care after I’ve already started? These are big questions and they can cause a lot of additional stress and anxiety as people age; an already stressful experience for most.

 

We’re here to help. If you have questions about paying for care–or any other aspect of it–let us know. One of our care professionals would be happy to talk more with you. This is why we offer a free consultation service. We know how stressful this experience can be for families and we want to make it a little bit easier. 

 

So, please feel free to get in touch with us today. We’re always happy to help people get connected to the resources that they need to thrive as they age.