Palin was right... http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/sep/15/medicare-facing-cancer-cardiac-care/?partner=RSS
>>> As the health care debate continues in Washington, lost in the controversy >>> is a little-known change in Medicare policy that threatens efficient access >>> to lifesaving medical services for millions of heart and cancer patients. If enacted as scheduled on Jan. 1, 2010, policy changes recommended by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) -- the government's insurer for the elderly and disabled -- will severely cut current Medicare reimbursements to cardiologists and oncologists for critical care services that are provided to patients in physicians' offices or other out-of-hospital setting, such as chemotherapy to treat cancer, and various cardiac procedures to monitor and treat heart disease, such as nuclear imaging and heart catheterization. These cuts will force cardiologists and oncologists to limit care to their Medicare patients, withdraw from treating Medicare patients altogether or require their patients to pay more out of pocket to make up the difference in the cost of these services. Unless these proposed changes are rescinded, current and future cardiac and cancer care patients will suffer the consequences, especially in rural areas where the proportion of Medicare patients is exceptionally high and patients have fewer choices of health care providers. The changes certainly will force the closing of outreach clinics in rural areas, leaving many people without easily accessible cardiac or cancer care. They will be forced to travel to hospitals, sometimes long distances from home, and to wait for hours, if not days and weeks, for the tests and services they need. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
