Court Blocks White House Push on Medicare Expenses

[groovedaddy]

WASHINGTON — A federal court has blocked the Bush administration’s effort to save money on Medicare by paying for only the least expensive treatments for particular conditions.

Congress sets Medicare payment rates and never intended to give officials broad discretion to alter them, the court said in an important test case on Oct. 16.

The case, just now being scutinized by Medicare officials and consumer advocates, involved drugs used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr. of Federal District Court here said the policy of paying for only “the least costly alternative” was not permitted under the Medicare law.

The administration’s position would give the health and human services secretary “enormous discretion” to determine the amount paid for every item and service covered by Medicare, without reference to the detailed formulas set by Congress, Judge Kennedy said. “This flies in the face of the detailed statutory provisions,” he added.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/washington/04medicare.html?th&emc=th

[aquart]

1. Bastards want to murder us.

[groovedaddy]

2. Some form of deranged, sinister population control... n.t

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

3. In this case I don't see the problem.

Giving someone albuterol and atrovent (cheap) verses giving someone DuoNeb (expensive) shouldn't affect anyones health adversely. But hey if the rules say no. However we'll never get universal healthcare if we don't allow things like this.

David