Why build reform on Mayo platform?

In a recent Associated Press article entitled "How Obama's health care overhaul bill would work," it is stated that doctors and hospitals would be encouraged to use the Mayo Clinic model of "accountable care organization."

The Mayo Clinic's system of accountable care was instituted in order to ensure that all aspects of medical care are well coordinated. This allows for better communication between doctors relating to the patient's medical needs. This is indeed an ideal situation and the Mayo Clinic is well regarded because of this. The Mayo Clinic, as well as most hospitals across the nation, is losing money on every Medicare patient it sees.

Because of declining reimbursements from Medicare, the Mayo Clinic's Arizona branch has stopped seeing Medicare patients as of Jan. 1, 2010. Medicare reimbursements have remained stagnant over the past decade, while inflation for medical services has increased between 4 and 8 percent annually.

Physicians are facing a 21-percent cut in reimbursement during 2010, which would further erode quality of care issues for Medicare patients.

It is interesting that the Obama administration wants to implement as part of their health care reform a system which the Mayo Clinic has been forced to abandon because of lack of funds.

Dr. Norbert M. Becker

Managing partner

Geneva Eye Clinic