Cathie Ramey
RedwoodAge.com

Four out of five Americans are worried that this summer's cuts in Medicare payments will hurt care for older patients, according to a poll by the American Medical Association.

On July 1, payments to physicians treating Medicare patients will be cut by 10.8 percent. The cuts will increase to 40 percent over the next decade while the cost of practicing medicine will go up by 20 percent, according to the doctors' organization.

Two-thirds of physicians plan to turn away some Medicare patients as a result of this year's cuts, the AMA said. A third of Medicare patients already struggle to find a primary care physician. 

"As physicians, we are terribly concerned about how these Medicare cuts will impact our senior patients," said William Hazel, a member of the AMA board. "Seniors and boomers are concerned, too. Our new poll shows that 88 percent of current Medicare patients are worried about how the cuts will impact their access to health care."

Whether or not programs such as Medicare and Social Security can bear the weight of retiring boomers has become a major debate topic among economists, the public and politicians, particularly as conservatives push for less government and lower taxes. 

Even with current funding, obtaining medical care is likely to be an increasing problem as 78 million boomers move into their retirement years.

About 93 percent of boomers and seniors rely on doctors for health advice more than sources such as the Internet, friends, articles or other sources of information. However, many health care professionals also will be retiring, creating shortages in fields like nursing and thoracic surgery.

Americans are living longer but with longevity comes additional challenges. With the number of people eligible for Medicare expected to double by 2030, there is a rising concern that the shear numbers of people requiring medical care to manage chronic health problems will overwhelm the system.

The first boomers will reach Medicare eligibility in three years. After that, 10,000 boomers will turn 65 every day for the following 20 years. 

Poverty Ahead
The rising cost of health care, coupled with boomers' uncertainty about how much money it takes to fund 20 or 30 years of retirement, leaves many wondering about the future. It's believed  that many seniors will live in poverty.

Critics also question how poverty is defined. According to a study by Steven Wallace of  the UCLA  Center for Health Policy Research, the federal poverty line - the financial yardstick used by the government to determine seniors' eligibility for public assistance - falls decidedly short of the minimal cost of living, leaving seniors without enough money to cover living expenses, but too much money to qualify for programs that could help them.

Many boomers who can are opting to work past normal retirement age to make ends meet.

According to the AMA, nearly three quarters of Americans polled want Congress to solve the Medicare problem by halting the impending cuts and increasing payments to doctors.

"Congress has only a short window of time to act as the first Medicare cut begins in three months, " said Hazel.  "Physicians and now patients have spoken:  Congress should stop the cuts to preserve seniors' access to care."