Editorial Commentary: Medicare Cost-Containment Programs Reduce Reimbursement, Complicate Care, and Increase Administrative Costs: Alarm Bells Are Ringing and Physicians Must Get Involved

Abstract

Medicare cost-containment efforts have uniformly led to a reduction in physician reimbursement offset by increasing administrative burdens and costs and complicating delivery of care. Surgeons who face decreasing compensation for Medicare patients may be forced to limit the number of these patients for whom they care. Decreasing physician reimbursement from Medicare typically translates into a similar reduction by private payers. Administrators who come at a cost have yet to show proven value. All of this translates into limiting our ability to care for patients. We are facing a critical moment for potential change prompted by a global health crisis, a new administration, a new legislature, and an increased appreciation for health care delivery among the American public. As physicians, we need to be active participants in changing the system, placing a greater priority on delivering optimal care at optimal cost. We should use this moment when the American public is focused on the need for health care to reprioritize Medicare funding and physician reimbursement while urging reductions of government spending on bureaucracy. This requires actively lobbying lawmakers and speaking collectively.