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♪♪

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>> Bret: Tonight we conclude our

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series on gaps in American

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healthcare by looking at what is

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causing so many shortages in the

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industry.

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Providers are blaming medicare

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and medicaid reimbursement

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rates.

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This is leaving many families in

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a tough spot.

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Here's senior correspondent a

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Lisa.

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>> It's emotional.

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>> Carmen peek is the mother of

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two autistic children who will

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no longer receive care at one of

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ten autistic providers for

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services in Colorado all siting

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low medicaid reimbursement rates

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and high inflation.

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In many cases physician

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repayment rates have not kept up

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with inflation.

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Take medicare inflation rates.

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According to ama research since

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2001 they've dropped 26% below

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the cost of running a doctor's

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office.

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Experts, however, point to

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instances where reimbursements

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may actually be too high,

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particularly with some medicare

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services.

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And private insurance plans.

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>> It's not about medicare rates

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being stuck.

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It's because commercial rates

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are out of control because

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there's no market discipline

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when providers have monopolies.

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>> Reporter: Congress and state

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lawmakers are looking at

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legislation to adjust rates and

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more closely tie physician pay

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to inflation.

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Medicare rates have contributed

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to the closing of air ambulance

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bases.

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>> It doesn't even come close to

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properly, you know, reimbursing

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us.

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>> Reporter: Primary care,

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nursing and geriatrics among

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other specialties are facing

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shortages in part due to

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reimbursement rates and

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inflation.

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Wait times to see a doctor also

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impacted, especially for older

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people and patients with

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disabilities as some physicians

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opt out of medicare and

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medicaid.

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>> The motion is adopted.

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>> Reporter: During the

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pandemic, lawmakers enacted stop

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gap measures that are about to

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expire, potentially dropping

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reimbursement rates even lower

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in 2024.

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The American medical association

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calling for action.

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Its president writing, patients

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and physicians desperately need

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congress to develop a permanent

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solution that addresses the

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financial instability and

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threatens access to care.

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In recent decades, lawmakers

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have applied patches to the law

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to temporarily stop

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reimbursement rates from

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dropping.

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Experts tell us, they expect

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that to happen again this year.