Governments role

Unit 3 discussion board 2

Colorado technical university

Many physicians have started avoiding Medicare and Medicaid patients for various reasons. There are two most common reasons that they give is that the reimbursements take long. One is that the duration may vary from state to state but all of them agree that the duration that it takes for reimbursements to be remitted is rather long (Walker & Accius, 2010). The second is because reimbursements are also low and unacceptable. This makes it unattractive for many doctors and other healthcare providers. The government will have to step in to ensure that the patients get the care that they deserve under the two healthcare plans.

The physician ought to serve Medicaid patients as required by the law. The outcry, however, has meant that the government may have to reconsider their stand. The government can only permit physicians to stop seeing these patients if they are covered by a different plan (Walker & Accius, 2010). Both the federal and state governments have roles to play in order for the health providers to stop seeing patients covered under the government sponsored insurance. The paperwork involved in Medicaid is quite tedious. The government ought to reduce the paperwork involved in such situations. Patients under these healthcare programs always receive what Medicaid considers good for them and not what they actually need to get better.

The government has a big role to play in Medicaid and Medicare patients. Since the program pays less than most health insurers, it is important that the government allows doctors to choose whether to accept patients or not unless it is an emergency. The government can pass a legislation to allow doctors to decide on which patient they are going to accept and which one they are not (Walker & Accius, 2010). The government already knows that the payment plan has turned away a number of physicians from serving patients under the scheme. If the payment would have been better and timely, then the health providers would have considered seeing the patients who are under the scheme. Currently, the government delays in disbursing the compensation making the doctors to shy away from the medical scheme.

Both the federal and state governments can ease the burden of the physicians by ensuring that the patients covered by the scheme are only served in public health facilities. In this way, patients will still be served but at the expense of the government run hospitals (Walker & Accius, 2010). The government can encourage people to use public facilities more. Physicians should never find themselves in a position where they have to turn patients away, hence the government should steer the patients away from private facilities to public facilities.

References

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2010). Medicare & Medicaid Statistical Supplement. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/MedicareMedicaidStatSupp/09_2010.asp

Walker, L., & Accius, J. (2010, September). Access to long-term services and supports: A 50-state survey of Medicaid financial eligibility standards. AARP Public Policy Institute, Insight on the Issues I-44.