Opinion
Lawmakers should read doctor's letter on being forced from practice
LETTER — Posted Feb. 11, 2008
Regarding "Balance billing will come too late for this doctor but may save others" (Letters, Jan. 14): I just finished reading the letter from Sharon Oglesby, MD, a Palm Coast, Fla., physician who has been forced to leave her practice because of declining Medicare reimbursements and increasing office costs.
If only all of our patients were aware of these problems. Unfortunately, it seems "inappropriate" for us to bring up this subject with our patients. Perhaps only when we are forced to close our practices will our patients learn how far we have been stretched to keep caring for them in private practice. Dr. Oglesby's letter should be required reading for every U.S. congressman and senator.
Thad E. Bartell, MD, Tempe, Ariz.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/02/11/edlt0211.htm.












