Bush Administration Plans Medicare Changes (payments cut 20-30%)

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON, July 16 — The Bush administration says it plans sweeping changes in Medicare payments to hospitals that could cut payments by 20 percent to 30 percent for many complex treatments and new technologies.

The changes, the biggest since the current payment system was adopted in 1983, are meant to improve the accuracy of payment rates. But doctors, hospitals and patient groups say the effects could be devastating.

Federal officials said that biases and distortions in the current system had created financial incentives for hospitals to treat certain patients, on whom they could make money, and to avoid others, who were less profitable.

Michael O. Leavitt, the secretary of health and human services, said the new system would be more accurate because payments would be based on hospital costs, rather than on charges, and would be adjusted to reflect the severity of a patient’s illness. A hospital now receives the same amount for a patient with a particular condition, like pneumonia, regardless of whether the illness is mild or severe.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/17/us/17medicare.html?hp&ex=1153108800&en=b831d4b18fa6636a&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[serryjw]

1. I knew this was coming

No one can any longer afford to get sick.

[progressoid]

26. Yep. Most of us saw this a long time ago.

By the time the reality of this sinks in with the rank and file, it will be hard to undo the damage.

[serryjw]

27. All depends on whether

the dems make it an issue for November. Cut the fucken military budget not Medicare.

[WCGreen]

2. What wold stop the hospitals from padding the costs....

Running tests that aren't necessarily needed...

Finding pockets of profits and exploit those areas...

Sounds like a good idea at first blush, but another system rife with fraud possibilities...

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

18. I believe that the hospitals are reimbursed

based on diagnosis (DRG) - regardless of the specific tests, procedures that are done on a particular patient.

[Kagemusha]

3. Speaking of not being able to take stories at face value...

If read literally, the idea seems to suggest that hospitals have been over-compensated for a lot of treatments which has added to the inflation in medical costs. But will the real-world effects of the cuts go well beyond the theoretical 'accuracy' improvement? It's like when armies claim they're going to cut fat and keep muscle after major wars. Never happens that way. Never ever ever ever.

[geomon666]

4. Compassionate Conservatism rears it's ugly satanic face once again.

F***ing pigs.

[saigon68]

7. You forgot the word MOTHER in your post

[Joe Bacon]

5. How I miss Hubert Humphrey,,,

I remember his great quote:

"The true moral test of a society is how it treats those in the dawn of light, the children; Those in the setting of light, the elderly, and those who through no fault of their own are always trapped in the shadows of light, the disabled, helpless and hopeless."

Sadly the Republican response to this is "God helps those who help themselves"...

[The Wielding Truth]

6. Why do they feel the need to screw everything up?

[CAG]

8. Repukes creed is to bleed any govt program dry, then turn around

and tell their sheep, "see, govt can't run anything"

[barb162]

9. Totally unacceptable

Two more years of his crap and Democrats can change it all back to how it should be if he gets away with this one

[msongs]

10. republican health plan = get sick and die wish the dems would use this

little phrase :-)

Msongs
www.msongs.com/6for2008.htm

[Joe Bacon]

11. The REAL Republican Health Plan...

...Get a $100 tax credit to give to the TV Preacher of your choice so he will pray for you.

Just think of all those gallstones and hemorrhoids Pat Robertson has prayed for...

[alfredo]

28. And when you don't get well, they blame it on you for not

displaying enough faith. They then hit you up for more money saying it is a show of faith. That's what happened to my dad. We took away his credit cards before the 700 club could drain his bank account. He died of his cancer and the 700 club kept trying to get money from mom. We had to take away hers too because the religious vultures were intent on bleeding our family dry. She had Alzheimer's. Jim and Tammy were feeding off them too.

[w4rma]

15. Hillary says the Pug health plan = "On your own." (nt)

[davekriss]

20. It's not a Republican Health Plan...

...it's the Republican Death Plan.

[pinniped]

12. This sounds like the same asshole who tried to decimate....

the EPA during his reign.

All these * assholes play musical chairs with high level positions.

Michael O. Leavitt

[lindisfarne]

13. There may be medicare in 20 years, but there won't be any MDs who accept

it.

[New Government]

14. One Step Closer To National Health Insurance

Seriously. Whenever these cuts are made and people are squeezed even more by the health care system, we are one-step close to a system of National Health Care.

The government is getting screwed by the hospitals, doctors and Home Health equipment/providers. It's important we see this and recognize that we cannot just write blank checks to the Medical-Industrial complex.

Business is getting screwed by insurance companies who are offering less for higher premiums, higher deductibles, co-pays, etc. It's out-of-control.

Insurance companies are getting screwed by the Medical-Industrial complex that overcharges, double-bills, etc. Example (this is real): A hospital charges $30 for a bag of ice and calls it a "Thermal Therapy System." Patients need to examine these bills and turn the bastards in. Just because those of us with insurance aren't actually "paying"....we are in the long run by allowing the insurance companies to get screwed.

The People are getting screwed by all of the above as they are all involved in the circle-jerk, cover your ass, business before health care system of providing medical care in this country. The good news is all of the above are getting pissed, getting paranoid by having to watch their backs; and business groups, physician groups, etc (who have all historically opposed National Health Care) are getting on board the ship for radical reform of a broken system.

The Medicare cuts will be just one more nail in the coffin for this corrupt and outdated system.

-------------------
edit for spelling

[Iowa]

16. Good post. You're right. The current system is collapsing before our eyes.

The sooner the better, IMO.

[jwirr]

17. Well, the AMA should finally be voting Democratic! Can't say

they didn't ask for this.

[Vinca]

19. Bastards.

Many Medicare patients are already denied care for procedures that aren't adequately compensated for. This administration seems to hit a new low every day.

[Roland99]

21. To go against the grain, we all know something needs to be done.

There was an excellent article a year or so ago in the WaPo called, "Almost Unnoticed: Bi-Partisan Budget Anxiety".
edit: here's a link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/17/AR2005051701238.html

In that article it's accepted across the board that future obligations cannot be met with current tax levels, revenue, spending rates, etc.

The US Gov't *will* go bankrupt if nothing is done.


That said, I'd rather see spending curtailed related to defense spending and I certainly want to see more details on this Medicare spending change. If people truly won't be affected in being able to receive care and if this cuts out waste from hospitals charging for services that are not necessary for the given diagnosis, then this could be a help.

But, there still remains the chance for fraud in intentionally submitting different or add'l diagnoses which is why a powerful, strict, and OPEN auditing process needs to be implemented, too. That would help pave the way toward nationalized health care.

[greccogirl]

22. This could be bad,

but reform is definitely needed. There is a lot of medicare fraud out there. When my Mom was in a nursing home, I watched them walk her 20 feet down the hall and back 3 times a day, for which they charged $1600 a month for "physical therapy". And no she didn't have other stuff I missed because I there everyday 8-10 hours a day..................... they hated me because I kept asking "is this all you are going to do?"

[tibbir]

23. Anything that Bush does to the Medicare system

is designed to hurt the system and the people who depend on it.

[superconnected]

24. Since bush is doing it, I'm going to guess he's diverting the monies

to defense.

Gotta loot as much as he can before his time expires.

[Donkeykick]

25. Well...

the deficit just keeps going up and up, and our cowboy wannabe goes to bed every night without giving it a single thought.

Lets face it folks! George is anticipating another war and he has to start to think of ways to pay for the thing! We won't raise the common person's taxes; but what we will do is make life more of a burden for those seniors trying to enjoy their golden years!

Keep an eye out for any goofy lawmakers that sides with him on this! If you know any in your district, make sure you write them a friendly letter depicting how amused you're of the prospects of going poor faster!:eyes: :wtf:

[cpamomfromtexas]

29. What about paying bonuses only if people are CURED

Right now, they have the incentive to bleed everyone dry.

How about CURING SOMETHING FOR A CHANGE?

[crossroads]

30. Conterfeit Compassionate Christians = Bush and Buddies

[Nothing Without Hope]

31. Gues they figured this would be a good time to sneak it through n/t