Survey: 81% of Seniors Give Congress a No Confidence Vote to Find A Solution For Medicare Payments to Physicians

89% Think Doctors Will Stop Accepting Medicare Patients With Planned Cuts in Medicare Reimbursements

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- An independent survey of 441 seniors 65 years old and up revealed that 81% do not think Congress will find a long-term solution for physician payments for Medicare in 2011. Further, 89% surveyed believe doctors will stop accepting Medicare patients if a planned 23% cut in Medicare reimbursements for physicians services that was scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2011 is implemented. The Senate approved a one-year extension to the delay on December 8, 2010 by a vote of 99-0; the House approved the extension a day later by a vote of 409-2.

The survey was fielded December 10-17, 2010 by Extend Health, Inc., which operates the largest private Medicare exchange in the country.

Detailed results from the survey are as follows:

Do you think Congress will find a long-term solution for physician payments for Medicare in 2011?

Yes                     19 %
No 81 %

There was a scheduled 23% Medicare pay cut to physicians that would have started January 1, 2011, which Congress delayed. Do you think a Medicare pay cut to doctors would…

Help drive down the cost of healthcare         7 %
Drive doctors out of the business of accepting 89 %
Medicare patients
I do not think it matters if Medicare payments are cut 3 %

Extend Health is the only place where seniors can compare more than 3,500 private Medicare plans from 67 carriers side-by-side and find a plan that best meets their needs. Licensed benefit advisors are available by telephone to help seniors evaluate their Medicare coverage and explore new options quickly and easily. Since 2006, Extend Health has helped hundreds of thousands of seniors.

About Extend Health:

Extend Health, Inc. operates the country’s largest private Medicare exchange. For more information, visit Extend Health on the web at http://www.extendhealth.com.



CONTACT:

For Extend Health, Inc.
Rob Wyse, 212-920-1470
[email protected]

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  California  District of Columbia

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Seniors  Health  Public Policy/Government  Healthcare Reform  Other Health  Public Policy  White House/Federal Government  Professional Services  Insurance  Consumer  General Health

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