Medicare database reveals top-paid doctors

[Tony_FLADEM]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Medicare paid a tiny group of doctors $3 million or more apiece in 2012. One got nearly $21 million.

Those are among the findings of an Associated Press analysis of physician data released Wednesday by the Obama administration, part of a move to open the books on health care financing.

Topping Medicare's list was Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, whose relationship with Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., made headlines last year after news broke that the lawmaker used the doctor's personal jet for trips to the Dominican Republic.

Medicare paid Melgen $20.8 million. His lawyer said the doctor's billing conformed with Medicare rules and is a reflection of high drug costs.

AP's analysis found that a small sliver of the more than 825,000 individual physicians in Medicare's claims data base - just 344 physicians - took in top dollar, at least $3 million apiece for a total of nearly $1.5 billion.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MEDICARE_MILLIONAIRES?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[global1]

1. "Releasing The Data Without Context Will Likely Lead To Inaccuracies, Misinterpretations, False.....

conclusions and other unintended consequences."

Here come the claims of "death panels" from the Repubs.

I think it is great to have this data. The transparencies will in my mind ultimately save us money and weed out the cheaters.

I'm glad this data is now made available.