Medicare Reimbursement

[betts]

Fact:

The Los Angeles Times reported recently that the Department for Health and Human Services is considering making substantial cuts in Medicare reimbursement for high-tech drugs, devices, and biologics in the hospital outpatient setting - a move which some medical experts warn could force patients into the more costly, inconvenient inpatient setting.

[renerian, BSN, RN]

I know by the time I go to use Medicare, if it is still even there, will be substantially different.

renerian

[emily_mom]

Personally, I don't think it will be around when I get to retire. Or, if it is, health costs will have risen so high that they will not pay much...putting us worse off than we are now. If hospitals keep raising the prices to make up for the medicare/medicaid difference, we are all in big trouble!

Kristy

[WashYaHands]

I think it's important because for some people it's the only insurance that they have. The whole medicaid & medicare system needs to be overhauled. The reimbursement rates for medicare and medicaid are so low, some physicians can no longer afford to accept these patients.

Linda

[Going80INA55]

Personally I feel they have to draw the line somewhere.

More and more people are being dumped into the medicare/medicaid pot.

Their insurance should be no greater than something we would pay for ourselves. Many insurances plans have caps, virtually all have formularies for drugs and then their are the limitations on how often one can see the eye doc or chiropractor etc.

[baseline]

Medicare is very important, but it should NOT be the primary payor if the patient has other adequate insureance such as BC/BS.