Medicare update for radiologists: predictions for 2008 and beyond.

摘要

Is the glass getting emptier? Each year, I give an update on the Medicare "problem" based in large part on the annual Medicare trustees report. As I've described in the past, the Medicare problem is not a single problem but rather a combination of issues. Medicare is funded through two distinct mechanisms and each has its concerns. The Part A (Hospital Insurance) program is fiscally unsound, with less revenue flowing in than flowing out and a demographic crisis confronting it. The Part B program, which is generally now combined with the prescription drug benefit (Part D) when talking about its fiscal effects, is a huge budgetary strain, but with no crisis over fundability. In this brief, I will give an update on the current state of these programs and also make some predictions for the coming 18 months.