Anesthesia Providers... ready to see a reduction in your earnings?

The famed GAO Study that Forced Medicare's increase in anesthesia reimbursement would be impossible under the proposed government run healthcare plan. Do you understand that the study conducted by the GAO that indicated Medicare's anesthesia reimbursement was more than 30% below the market rates would never have been possible under the proposed healthcare legislation? The findings and conclusions of this study supported one of the greatest increases in history of Medicare's anesthesia conversion factor. This study looked at the anesthesia reimbursement from Medicare and compared that same reimbursement to the private sector, the end result showed clearly that Medicare was "under-paying" anesthesia professionals across the country in comparison to Medicare's reimbursement to other providers. In a sense it was the fact that this "competition" or private sector data set existed that the GAO was able to identify and analyze these data elements to support this conclusion. I know this as I was personally involved in the preliminary discussions of this GAO project with the GAO. Are you ready to loose that capability under the proposed healthcare legislation? Furthermore, the fact that the Medicare conversion factor was so misplaced and easily proven so when compared to the private sector further illustrates the US government's inability to ascertain what is the appropriate value or worth of the services of an anesthesia professional. Give it some thought. Under the proposed legislation this study would not have been possible, and reimbursement or the value of anesthesia services provided by anesthesia professionals would continue to be below the true market values.

As outlined in a famous YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bY92mcOdk featuring a significant congressional member, Rep Barney Frank, from early last week, his goal and that of those who believe like he does, is clearly outlined in the video. Rep Frank states that the only way to a single payer system, that he openly states he has supported for years- is to start with the present healthcare legislation. In the same video you can see for yourself the President has been quoted as indicating the private sector health insurance will be eliminated in 10-15 years, but experts ascertain that this will not take 10-15 years but closer to 5 years. Furthermore you can see Rep Jan Schakowsky discussing the same topics, "...he was right, the man was right..." when discussing the issue that the provisions of the current legislation will eliminate private health insurance. Therefore, any direction to a centralized governmental controlled healthcare industry will lead to a single payer system. Those that we have had to spend millions and millions to watch so closely will be in control of every aspect of the industry. Not just the Medicare sector as they are today, but the entire payermix. Without the revenue generated by the private healthcare industry CRNAs and Anesthesiologists would not be able to generate the earnings they experience today. The reimbursement of the Medicare anesthesia fee schedules will result in significant reductions in the current earnings to anesthesia providers. There will be no other data set to analyze but the government's data set. These are the same individuals that want to become the entire payer for all healthcare services, including those of anesthesia professionals. CRNAs and Anesthesiologists let me ask you this simple question..... Are you ready to have your earnings reduced by 50% or even more? What changes will you be forced to make in your professional and personal lives to absorb this reduction? What will this do to anesthesia teaching programs? These are real questions based upon real issues. Believe it or not, this impacts you.