Mandated closures and stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused sharp revenue declines at small businesses across the state, including independent medical practices.
“It’s important to know physicians’ offices haven’t been immune,” Dan Morin, director of Communications & Government Affairs with the Maine Medical Association (MMA), said in an email response to The Center Square. “They’re experiencing two major hits: a drastic decrease in patients seeking elective and routine care, and a delayed third-party payment system through insurance companies.”
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Many are in survival mode, Moris added.
“Many have lost more than half of their revenue and if they are forced to close, tens of thousands of Mainers will have no access to care,” he said.
The situation is less acute for hospital-affiliated physicians who work within more financially stable large systems, Morin said.
“Those physician practices have many more resources behind them to respond to the crisis. That’s certainly not to take away from what our hospital colleagues are doing, because they’re under a tremendous amount of stress, but they will survive in the end. It’s the smaller, independent physician practices that may not make it,” Morin added.
The MMA is calling on federal lawmakers to provide industry-specific relief in upcoming legislation.
“It is critically important that Congress address this issue for physicians nationwide in the next stimulus bill through direct, and forgivable, financial assistance,” Morin said.
“Low, or no interest loans, while temporarily helpful, will not allow many to survive if they have to pay them back,” Moris said. “State government must also include physician small businesses in their discussions and deliberations. Whenever that may be when, and if the pandemic subsides.”
“Most physicians don’t like to look at their practice as a business, but they also have to pay staff, pay bills, pay rent. More importantly, they must have revenue to take care of their patients,” Morin said. “Telemedicine helps, however, many practice in rural areas and those Mainers don’t necessarily have video capability. It’s important for Congress and leaders from the more urban areas of the state to realize that.”
In the meantime, patients are urged not to postpone getting the care they need.
“While physicians have been braving the front lines, they are getting ready for a certain series of aftershocks, whether it’s a more intense COVID-19 spike, or the inevitable rush of pent up demand for care by the chronically ill or those with expensive ongoing medical conditions,” Morin said.
“Physicians are worried about patients delaying necessary care,” Morin added.
“Your physician’s offices can safely treat you in person and many have resorted to online care through telehealth as needed or available,” Morin said. “It’s quite easy and they’re happy to help you through that process. Everyone needs to stay healthy and safe.”
