Rebuttal

Doctor: Tax me, others to fund Medicaid

The prospective benefits to Michigan citizens of imposing a 3 percent tax on physicians, as approved by the Michigan House, are important ("Unhealthy tax: Plan to impose additional taxes on physicians could drive them out of the state," Oct. 14).

The tax would generate an estimated $300 million and the state of Michigan would then be eligible to receive an additional $525 million in federal aid for the Michigan Medicaid program. Michigan physicians will gain by increasing the Medicaid payment schedule for services.

This improvement in reimbursement to physicians is essential for physician participation in Medicaid and critical for patients on Medicaid to have access to care. Currently, few physicians are willing to lose money on every Medicaid visit; and patients are frustrated to find that most doctors won't accept them as new patients on Medicaid.

While none of us want to pay more taxes, there are physicians like myself who support the proposal. The Michigan College of Emergency Physicians has indicated its support for this kind of proposal.

As physicians, we also must recall that while we paid large sums, including going into debt, for our medical education, the state also paid a large part for the education that has enabled us to prosper even in the hardest of economic times. We should have the generosity to allow ourselves to be taxed for the benefit of the citizens of Michigan and to improve the economic benefit for physicians who are caring for people on Medicaid.

Dr. Steve Pollens , Kalamazoo