Offhand, I can't think of any other class of high-income professionals that are as a group so dependent upon the government - or government policy - for a significant portion of their income.

There's already a system in place for checking (and if necessary holding up) tax refunds if there are other government obligations owed (e.g. student loan payments in arrears). It ought to work the other direction as well. I suppose a lot of it is that it's the IRS that's got your money in that case, not Medicare, and they've got the wherewithal to do it. Yet, this should be pretty easy pickings, if only Medicare could get their act together

If some dude owes $1,000 child support, or $1,000 on a student loan, you can be darn sure his tax refund is going to be seized. But hey, what's a few hundred thou in back taxes owed by a doctor? Let it ride.

Forget about Medicare not reimbursing them; if the government can figure out that they owe back taxes, it should put their sorry asses in jail. It's not like there's a shortage of doctors...

Why? Because medicare, health insurance etc.
exists to benefit health care providers, not patients. Always has.

"It's not like there's a shortage of doctors..."

Uhhh......you're joking, right? My mother-in-law is having a hard time moving from Eugene to the Portland area because she can't find a doctor here who will take new Medicare patients. She's checked all over the place. And she's 76 years old........

I thought the Medicare doctors were already being screwed by the health insurance formularies that reimburse them at below-market rates for common treatments...which is why fewer doctors play that Medicare game. I thought.

Too bad they didn't get together and PRETEND TO WITHOLD THEIR TAXES AS A PROTEST. Er, instead of just not paying them. Or whatever.

Which, by the way, isn't this a great country?