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For the unusual Pd News Magazine, just request a Free copy of "The Vermont Parkinsonian" We're a monthly circulation, nationally & internationally of over 6000. Just E-Mail us your postal Mailing address. Thank You, Sid Burton, Editor & Publisher and fellow Parkinsonian Linda J Herman wrote: > KaiserNetwork Health Reports noted more troublesome news from HHS -- > they are proposing reduced Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements for > "thousands of outpatient procedures." Among the proposed reductions are > reimbursements for treatments involving "new technology." > Unfortunately the article below is very vague about what "new > technologies" would be affected. For example, could this proposed rule > affect Medicare coverage of outpatient DBS adjustments and follow up > treatments? > The proposed changes should be on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid > Services (formerly HCFA) web site tomorrow. > ""The Federal Register will publish the proposed rule, CMS-1159-P, on > Aug. 24 . CMS will open the proposed rule to public comment until Oct. 3 > (Washington Post, 8/21). To view the proposed rule on the CMS Web site, > go to > http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/cms1159p.htm." > > --------- Forwarded message ---------- > This story was sent to you from kaisernetwork.org Daily Reports. > Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:03:10 -0400 > > MEDICARE > > "Medicare to Boost Reimbursement for Outpatient Services 2.3%, But May > Reduce 'Pass-Through Payments' for New Technologies, HHS Confirms > HHS announced yesterday that Medicare will boost reimbursement rates > 2.3% for outpatient services in hospitals next year, but the agency also > may reduce payments for "certain drugs and medical devices," the > Washington Post reports. > Under a proposed rule issued yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and > Medicaid Services (formerly HCFA) may impose an "across-the-board > reduction" on payments for new medical technologies, which Congress > capped at 2.5% of total outpatient reimbursements in a 1999 law that took > effect last year (Washington Post, 8/21). CMS has "threatened to cut" > extra payments for new technologies by up to 80%. According to the > agency, "The information we have collected thus far suggests that a > significant reduction could be required for 2002." In "early agency > estimates," CMS found that Medicare spent $1 billion more than the $400 > million limit that Congress set on extra payments for new medical > technologies (Bloomberg News, 8/20). An HHS spokesperson said that the > number of new medical devices has "roughly quadrupled" in the past year. > > Experts Worry Cuts Could Drive Up Costs > > Some medical experts have warned that limiting reimbursements for new > medical devices would force hospitals to admit more patients, which would > drive up Medicare costs (Washington Post, 8/21). Medicare provides > larger reimbursements for inpatient care (Kaiser Daily Health Policy > Report, 8/20). In addition, medical device manufacturers, including > Guidant Corp. and **Medtronic Inc., have lobbied to stop CMS from > "slashing the payments." Bloomberg News reports that reducing > reimbursement rates for medical devices may prompt hospitals to "stop > using the companies' latest products" to avoid financial losses. The > Federal Register will publish the proposed rule, CMS-1159-P, on Aug. 24 > (Bloomberg News, 8/20). CMS will open the proposed rule to public > comment until Oct. 3 (Washington Post, 8/21). To view the proposed rule > on the CMS Web site, go to > http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/cms1159p.htm. > > Information Gap? > > In an editorial, the Los Angeles Times warns that a decision to reduce > Medicare payments for new medical devices "should be based on better > information" than CMS officials have used, adding, "Curbing costs is > good, but doing it with a bludgeon is not." The editorial points out > that the debate over the issue has "drawn attention to a long-ignored > flaw" in the U.S. public health system -- the "lack of any coherent > system for assessing what works, what gives the biggest medical benefit > for the buck." According to the editorial, "Making quality information > public pushes hospitals and doctors to focus on effective treatments and > reduce medical errors." The editorial points out that the proposed rule > faces "political trouble," concluding, "If the government had > better-quality information, it would be able to fend off critics and > defend its cuts" (Los Angeles Times, 8/21)." > > --------------------------- > Please come and visit our site for future daily reports, or sign up for > our Email-Alert mailing list to automatically receive future reports at > http://www.kaisernetwork.org/email > > Health Policy As It Happens > http://www.kaisernetwork.org > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn