West Valley Mayo clinic nixes Medicare

About 3,200 Medicare patients will have to pay at least $1,500 in out-of-pocket expenses annually if they want to continue to receive physician services at Mayo Clinic Family Medicine in Glendale beginning on Jan 1.

The Mayo Clinic Family Medicine - Arrowhhead sent out a letter this week to patients announcing the change, stating it will no longer be a Medicare provider for physician services beginning the first of next year.

"The challenge we have had for some time with Medicare reimbursements is not unique to Mayo," said Michael Yardley, chairman of public affairs of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "It has been difficult for us to be able to sustain our own medical practice in a way to provide the best care to patients and for us."

Current Medicare patients of the clinic may still continue to see their physician at Mayo Clinic Family Medicine - Arrowhead after Jan. 1 if they agree to pay a $250 annual administrative fee, office visit fees — which the letter states can range from $175 to $400 per visit — and agree to make an appropriate number of visits each year for their condition, including physicals. The total annual costs for the fee, physical and three office visits is expected to be about $1,500 annually, according to the letter.

Yardley acknowledges that the out-of-pocket costs will exclude a large portion of patients from continuing to receive care at the clinic.

"For some it will (be cost-prohibitive), and that’s why it’s so painful," Yardley said. "We have a list of physicians for them that are accepting new Medicare patients. We have done homework in that area, and we have customer service representatives for folks who we are encouraging them to talk to about it."

The letter also states those Medicare patients affected will not be able to transfer their primary care to another Mayo facility.

Though the physician services won’t be covered by Medicare at Arrowhead, the letter states other services, including laboratory, x-rays, anticoagulation clinic and specialty care such as cardiology and neurology will still be covered by Medicare at that and other Mayo locations.

The Arrowhead location is the only one discontinuing the Medicare coverage for physician services, Yardley said.

"There is a high percentage of Medicare patients at that facility, which makes it more challenging," Yardley said. "And we have more prospective patients who have access to the Mayo Clinic now through health plans and insurance companies. So in working with those insurers and payers, and employees and their associates, (we wanted to assure) their members have access to Mayo Clinic."

For more information call 623-376-8985.