According to this article in the Times we must control payments to physicians “because spending on doctor’s services was increasing faster than expected, and faster than the annual goals set by a statutory formula.” The change will result in a saving of 13 Billion dollars over 5 years
Contrast this serious concern about controlling physician costs with the docile acceptance of 10-20% increases in yearly drug expenditures and the utter irresponsibility of a pharmaceutical program (Medicare D) originally estimated to cost 450 billion yearly but actually costing over 550 billion. But of course the poor pharmaceutical companies must not be subject to competition or negotiation because we wouldn’t want to stifle their profits, whoops I mean creativity.
Medicynic 