Baby boomers, take note. The number of U.S. doctors refusing new Medicare patients has increased to record levels as low government payment rates force them out, statistics show. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) reports that 13 percent of doctors who responded to a survey said they didn't participate in Medicare last year, up from 8 percent in 2008 and 6 percent in 2004. More doctors are refusing new Medicare patients in part because Congress failed to stop an automatic 21 percent cut in payments that took effect Friday. Doctors are mad with the government and taking it out on patients who really need medical attention? Yeah, that's logical.
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