Sequester

[Perrotfish]

So it looks likely the Sequester is going through (congress officially left town), and half the cuts come out of Medicare. But not coverage, and not reimbursements, which leaves GME. Anyone know if/how much GME is getting cut next year if all these cuts go through? Any program directors have a backup plan to deal with this?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Neuronix]

Our contract specifically states that our salaries and positions are contingent upon medicare funding. I'm scared already

 

[Residentcool]

Our contract specifically states that our salaries and positions are contingent upon medicare funding. I'm scared already

My understanding is that the sequester is mostly going to be felt at the non-medical staff level, including nurses, admin staff, cleaning staff, etc. I think some hospitals have already started laying off non-medical staff.

I don't think the plan is to fire doctors/residents for the most part. Many hospitals are already working on a skeleton crew, so cutting back more would imply cutting back services, which in turn would mean less $$.

 

[Dwindlin]

Surprised this topic hasn't gotten more discussion. . .

 

[IMdocT]

from what i've heard, each year the starting budget gets increased by some % from the previous year, and the sequester only reduces the increase. if that's true, then there aren't any true cuts. if there aren't real cuts, then i'd assume that if one type of spending is reduced, it's being put somewhere else. however, i've never known where to see the actual numbers each year and how they get adjusted.

i just know that there is so much BS about how "the other side" doesn't want to fix the budget, when the case is probably that many politicians won't lift a finger because voting for any real cut, even if their rhetoric says otherwise, could put his/her career in jeopardy. instead they will propose or support a half-hearted plan that doesn't do much, and if it fails then they will try to sway the public into blaming the other side for not solving the budget problem. it's been going on for decades. this 2-party system sucks.

 

[piratemd]

from what i've heard, each year the starting budget gets increased by some % from the previous year, and the sequester only reduces the increase. if that's true, then there aren't any true cuts. if there aren't real cuts, then i'd assume that if one type of spending is reduced, it's being put somewhere else. however, i've never known where to see the actual numbers each year and how they get adjusted.

i just know that there is so much BS about how "the other side" doesn't want to fix the budget, when the case is probably that many politicians won't lift a finger because voting for any real cut, even if their rhetoric says otherwise, could put his/her career in jeopardy. instead they will propose or support a half-hearted plan that doesn't do much, and if it fails then they will try to sway the public into blaming the other side for not solving the budget problem. it's been going on for decades. this 2-party system sucks.

No.

The sequester is across the board cuts to entitlements (welfare, social security, medicare), defense, and other areas.

These cuts where not thought out, they were made to act as a gun to the head of congress to pass a sustainable budget in the future when they were at a standstill regarding the country's debt limit.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

I've been following this for months and, as someone else pointed out, I can't believe there hasn't been more discussion about this both on here and in medical schools/residency programs. When interviewing, I half expected some programs to brag that they'd cooked up ways to ensure they had adequate funding for residents even if the sequester cuts took effect. Instead, everyone seems to be eerily quiet about it, as if they're hoping it just doesn't happen.

The only attempt at public communication I've seen is this link (http://savegme.org/) from the AMA.

 

[Neuronix]

I don't think the plan is to fire doctors/residents for the most part.

I doubt we'd be fired. It's more like our already meager salary would be cut. We'd have no choice but to take whatever we're given, even if it's nothing.