A doctor who won't take any insurance or Medicare? Yank their license, plus imprisonment.

[Indykatie]

139. In Actuality the Number of Doctors NOT Taking Medicare or Insurance is Usually Overstated

Doctors participate in insurance networks because large insurance carriers pay them directly for the care. Most see this as preferable to having to chase down patients for their bills. I am most familiar with the Anthem/Wellpoint networks who have more than 90% of doctors contracted in their network and 98% of hospitals. Walking away from this direct stream of income would not be a good business decision since few individuals can afford to pay for their care out of pocket and then wait for reimbursement from the insurance company. Patients would simply find another doctor that is in the network. If a doctor wants to opt out of the system I say let him/her. That's a business decision that they should be free to make without threat of reprisal. I believe the number that will do this is not as big as some think. Also too as Palin would say most primary care practices are now owned by large hospital systems who are making the contracting decisions for the doctors and they have a vested interest to participate in insurance networks and to accept Medicare which represents a sizeable portion of their income.