The Medicare Crisis in numbers, predictions from SignatureMD

By April MacIntyre Sep 2, 2011, 21:11 GMT

SignatureMD, a concierge physician program that allows patients to enhance their doctor access while using their existing insurance benefits, has illuminated the looming Medicare crisis in a concise video, narrated by one of their conierge physicians.

SignatureMD, a concierge physician program that allows patients to enhance their doctor access while using their existing insurance benefits, has illuminated the looming Medicare crisis in a concise video, narrated by one of their concierge physicians.

SignatureMD has established offices in Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. and is expanding nationally. The number of SignatureMD physician offices is expected to triple by the end of 2011.  The company's selective process seeks only the most qualified and patient friendly doctors in these markets to partner with.

The company warns that somewhere between the years 2015 and 2020, Medicare will become bankrupt.

The numbers are daunting: In 2030, not only will half the US population be obese, but 76 million Americans are expected to be on the Medicare rolls.

The amount of qualified physicians is in a decline, with many established doctors bowing out of the entire Medicare program over squeezed down reimbursement and too many patients. Overhead and expenses are no longer being able to be covered by doctor office income.

On January 1, 2012, the Medicare cuts begin. SignatureMD paints the ugly picture:  21% (29.5 by some estimates) Medicare cut will decimate doctor’s earnings, regardless of a physician’s office overhead.

The concierge care model created for doctors to convert their existing practices presents as one proactive solution to a problem that affects us all.