tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post7913117770687705956..comments2023-08-21T02:57:37.362-05:00Comments on Dr. Wes: Doctor Paycut Suit Score: HHS 1, ACC 0DrWeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17438019699222125477noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-85375974616391632252010-01-18T20:02:06.642-06:002010-01-18T20:02:06.642-06:00Kathleen Sebelius isn't a lawyer. I think you...Kathleen Sebelius isn't a lawyer. I think you mean it's hard to bring a case against the government.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-50819382751015232102010-01-15T14:53:00.347-06:002010-01-15T14:53:00.347-06:00Keith -
Specifically - Table 6, on page 8 of tha...Keith - <br /><br />Specifically - Table 6, on page 8 of that document shows the MEI versus Physician update.CriticalCareRNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-20577424801557244982010-01-15T14:38:31.853-06:002010-01-15T14:38:31.853-06:00Keith,
Perhaps you could look to the CMS report o...Keith,<br /><br />Perhaps you could look to the CMS report on fee updates. Their report was that between the years of 1992 and 2010, the Medicare Economic Index (MEI - inflation of costs to provide care) has increased 54.8%, while reimbursements have risen only 11%. <br /><br />Try looking at this:<br /><br />First - Directly from the CMS website, the MEI is defined:<br /><br />"The MEI isCriticalCareRNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-706684159822191622010-01-15T12:15:19.178-06:002010-01-15T12:15:19.178-06:00Critical Care Nurse,
One must be very careful in ...Critical Care Nurse,<br /><br />One must be very careful in interpreting the supposed losses due to Medicare. Are these losses calcualated from the actual cost of the service or are they predicated on the hospitals usual and customary fee? Ususally these are calculated off of the latter, and as we all know, medical customary fees, especially with hospital charges, are extradonarily inflated Keithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-84538437358219130292010-01-15T10:05:37.600-06:002010-01-15T10:05:37.600-06:00I agree with you, the Happy Hospitalist, and I fee...I agree with you, the Happy Hospitalist, and I feel that very thing is on the horizon - and perhaps not just with cardiology.<br /><br />The unfortunate truth seems to be that doctors have very little defense against the sleazy shenanigans of the U.S. government - particularly since the AMA became an entity more interested in protecting their monopoly on billing codes over patient access and CriticalCareRNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-80057412176834181602010-01-14T23:08:07.877-06:002010-01-14T23:08:07.877-06:00The best way for the ACC to get a change in Medica...The best way for the ACC to get a change in Medicare payment rates would be for the ACC to recommend all cardiologists exit the Medicare system.<br /><br />Lawsuit? Nah, that won't work. <br /><br />Having your state Senatosr try to explain to 50 million elderly people why they have to pay $10,000 for their heart cath? <br /><br />Now THAT will get the wheels turning. The best solution The Happy Hospitalisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14392872203166584371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-60878855190586500852010-01-14T09:38:14.747-06:002010-01-14T09:38:14.747-06:00The problem is AMA and the ridiculous RUC board wh...The problem is AMA and the ridiculous RUC board where only 5/23 are primary care members and rest are specialists and over past decade it favored procedural reimbursements heavily leading to this and now needing to reverse some of it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-58295753255677573932010-01-14T08:36:02.777-06:002010-01-14T08:36:02.777-06:00Wes,
I am not clear why ACC is pushing this lawsu...Wes,<br /><br />I am not clear why ACC is pushing this lawsuit, other than lobbying attempts have obviously not been successful and this is the only alternative that exists. But if you look at Medicare as an insurer like any other insurer, you have the choice to walk away from taking this insurance (I would grant you a tough one for a specialty that derives a big share of its income from this Keithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-41657317597067516322010-01-13T22:37:33.645-06:002010-01-13T22:37:33.645-06:00Ray-
The cuts imposed by the loss of Medicare con...Ray-<br /><br />The cuts imposed by the loss of Medicare consult code payments in hospitals and clinics that begam 1 Jan 2010 (which I think you're talking about in your comment) are not the issues being disputed by the ACC. At present, many hospitals (including ours) think the loss of consultation payments will not make a large impact on their bottom line, in part because the loss of DrWeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17438019699222125477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18943510.post-78573247097353445462010-01-13T21:48:09.923-06:002010-01-13T21:48:09.923-06:00Dr.Wes, I don't see any apprehension about thi...Dr.Wes, I don't see any apprehension about this in the hospitals where I work. Our hospitalists don't still understand the implications of these changes,we got a crash course on AI modifier etc, one cardiologist said this does not affect him and will see some decline in few years ( we have lot of private insur here). Is this more of a statement that ACC wants to make or there is a Real rayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12357711657853902907noreply@blogger.com