Impeding changes to our Health Care system

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

The Independent Medicare Commission proposed in the Senate bill is charged with developing cost-containment recommendations for Medicare to curb the anticipated exploding growth with the baby boomers so that it remains sustainable.

That might include more comprehensive and coordinated research on the cost-effectiveness of various treatments as well as specific cost cutting measures to providers.

It will not establish clinical guidelines for payment, coverage, or treatment.

There is specific language in the bill:

The proposals (of the Commission) shall not include any recommendation to ration health care....or Medicare beneficiary premiums....or increase Medicare beneficiary cost sharing (including deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments), or otherwise restrict benefits or modify eligibility criteria....

Another scare tactic.

But Medicare already does this. Why do you think it is going to change. None of that language prevents them from doing what they already do. They do establish payments by procedure, which they low ball, and they dictate coverage by only paying for certain procedures in certain enviroments but not in others. And they dictate what is covered and what is not. Nothing will really change in that matter. They do it every single day. Only now thay are going to add more to the rolls. I don't think you are familiar with how billing works. What they hell do you think "developing cost-containment recommendations for Medicare" means?