[Mack184]

IMHO, Johns Hopkins..Mayo..Cleveland have the FINEST doctors on the planet. For any institution to be at that level requires world-class facilities & world-class medical professionals. To have those assets requires tons and tons and tons and tons of MONEY. Unfortunately, unless the entire design of this area is changed, that is not going to happen. Why? Because the majority of the population here is on Medicare. Between Medicare and the various Medicare "gap" plans that's pretty much the sum & substance of the revenue that TVRH, TVHS & their doctors can count on.

Because of the mandates of the new Affordable Care Act, doctor & hosptial reimbursements from Medicare are being DECREASED. Since TVRH receives the largest amount of per capita Medicare dollars of ANY hospital in the US it is going to put a heavy strain on the hosptial system because they do not have substantial revenue streams from any other source such as private insurance or monies coming from the ACA policies which will begin to be offered in 2014.

In many larger areas..especially those areas served by hospitals like Hopkins, Mayo & Cleveland..a large number of doctors will stop taking Medicare altogether. Within those groups there are those who have stopped taking ANY form of insurance. They are often referred to as "Gucci Doctors". You want a service? You will pay them with cash or plastic and they will provide you with service.

They claim that without having to deal with private insurance or Medicare they can give you more of their time and better service. Maybe so.

But the problem for The Villages "bubble" is not going to change. The majority of the population's insurance coverage is Medicare. A good number of the best & brightest doctors are not going to be accepting Medicare come 2014. Which will leave areas with large 65+ populations to have to settle for lesser doctors and facilities because of the decrease in Medicare reimbursements by the Feds. That's NOT a recipe for the kind of world-class care that's found at Hopkins, Mayo or Cleveland.