Submitted to the Chicago Tribune

Dear editor:

As the Tribune suggests, access to healthcare in Illinois is in a vise, and the jaws are rapidly closing (End the ‘doc fix,’ 7/19/10). Congress won’t commit the necessary financial resources to ensure adequate payment for the care provided to seniors. Already one in five Illinois doctors say they can’t take on any more Medicare patients and the situation is expected to get worse.

Illinois’ government is in such bad shape that it is at least six months behind in paying the bills for state employees’ health care services. The state’s Medicaid program is paying its bills on time only because the federal government is giving states extra money to do so. These additional federal funds expire at the end of 2010, so it is reasonable to expect there will be severe payment delays on the Medicaid front as well. Add in the fact that Illinois lost its lawsuit reform law, which is one of the best ways to control the rising cost of running a medical practice, and we find ourselves in dire straits.

Individual physicians are facing hard choices. Doctors are asking “can I continue to accept Medicare and Medicaid patients?” Some have already decided that they can’t. “Can I practice in an area where there are a lot of state employees, like a university town or our state capital?” Probably not. “Should I stay in Illinois or go to a state with better medical liability protections?” Staying in Illinois is becoming increasingly difficult for many doctors, which unfortunately puts patients in a bind. We need our lawmakers in Washington and Springfield to crank back this vise that is choking patient care.Our elected leaders need to stop avoiding the hard choices and do what is right to address these issues. Our healthcare is at stake.

Sincerely,

Wayne V. Polek, MD
Anesthesiologist, St. Charles
President-Elect, Illinois State Medical Society