Medicare Patients Hard-Pressed To Find Doctors

As the health care debate continues to pick up speed nationally, many Medicare patients in the Northwest are having a hard time finding a doctor.

No one's accepting new patients.

And as Consumer Investigator David Quinlan reports, it may get worse before it gets better.

After 31 years working for the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, Peter Schmidt is calling it quits. But entering retirement is no walk in the park.

Peter: "It's not so easy to find a new doctor when you're 65 and you have Medicare."

Peter, like so many other baby boomers, is having a hard time finding a physician. Doctors and specialists are simply not accepting new Medicare patients.

Peter: "I probably called 35 to 40 doctors and some clinics. Most of the time they say, 'No, we are not taking new patients.'"

The problem? Doctors say the reimbursement rates are too low and the paperwork is overwhelming.

Dr. Peterson: "I think everyone else today looks pretty straightforward."

Doctor Jeff Peterson with the Seattle Arthritis Clinic sees as many as 18 Medicare patients each day. And while a chunk of his patients are over the age of 65, he now has to limit the amount of new Medicare patients he sees.

Dr. Peterson: "We cannot stay in business by taking more Medicare, and so all the doctors that are dropping or eliminating Medicare are in the same boat."

Pharmacies, too, are making reductions. Bartell Drugs discontinued filling Medicaid prescriptions at 15 of its 57 Washington stores including 12 in King County.

Dr. Peterson: "It's mayhem. Medicare wants to cut costs because there are too many people on Medicare."

Scary for anyone over the age of 65. Peter was able to find a doctor through his wife's insurance. He'll retire as planned in April, but still worries about other baby boomers on the verge of retirement.

Peter: "I think it's going to become a bigger and bigger problem."

Quinlan: And Dr. Peterson agrees unless there's real reform.

Need help finding a doctor willing to take Medicare patients? Go to Physician and Healthcare Professional Directory