Mayo Clinic Opting Out Of Medicare

Phoenix Mayo Clinic in W. Valley Opting Out Of Medicare:
"'Low reimbursements have led one West Valley medical facility to stop taking certain Medicare patients, a pilot program that an Arizona health-care expert says may become a long-term trend in the industry.'
'Government payers without question are the worse payers in health care,' said John Rivers, president of the Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association. 'Medicare shortfalls in hospital payments represent nearly $1 billion in Arizona alone. And those costs ultimately get shifted onto the backs of privately insured individuals in the form of a hidden health-care tax.'"

Boomers Brigade is not a political Blog, and I'm not posting this article as a vehicle to start a debate on the Health Care Bill before Congress. However, the Mayo Clinic's position on Medicare payments does have National implications for Boomers like us. I would be remiss if I did not share this article with you since it looks like a shift that will have a huge financial impact on any current or future Boomer. There are a lot of us out there who depend on Medicare as their sole source for medical coverage, and this trend doesn't bode well for us financially.