HealthCare

Medicare: Lawsuit charges government with denying care to thousands of chronically ill

San Jose Care Resource Guide: Yes,  we sometimes have to sue Medicare, i.e. our government, to get proper care.  Here is a link to the article in the  Chicago Tribune. This article was brought to our attention by Ernest A. Wahrburg, BA(PSY), MSW, LCSW (NC & NY)/LinkedIn

Quoting the Chicago Tribune: “…The  Center for Medicare Advocacy, which filed the lawsuit with Vermont Legal Aid on behalf of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Parkinson’s Action Network, Paralyzed Veterans of America, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation…”

So what is the Center for Medicare Advocacy? Seems like a large well organized pro-Obamacare health care advocacy site. In fact one one their article’s title is “HEALTH CARE REFORM DOES NOT CUT MEDICARE BENEFITS” ….

So why are they suing Medicare, A.K.A, the (Obama) government?

Quoting the Tribune, quoting them,

“…Under the law, Medicare is obligated to provide health care and therapy that are “reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury,” according to the legal complaint. Yet through the years, program administrators have decided that services will only be reimbursed if patients show signs of getting better, the complaint notes…..”

San Jose Care Resource Guide: This Medicare policy, of course, choose to ignore that , for many  chronically ill, not getting worse is the name of the game!

San Jose Care Resource Guide: Fact is, bombast or not, liberal government will cut and/or weazzle out of social obligations like anybody else….Particularly when the group targeted for cuts does not seem politically significant. I.e. the disabled….The Obama admistration will rather spend our healthcare money on worthy  causes like

See our previous posts on the topic

• With Medicaid waiver, California dives into health care reform (stateline)
• Multiple sclerosis and it’s Financial Burden: Comments on the Guardian’podcast
•  HealthCare: California’s Gov. Brown’s proposed steep healthcare cuts
• Ways The New Health Law May Affect You in 2011 (KHN)
• Health Care Law Should Help With Jail Inmate Treatment (thecrimereport)
• Medi-Cal and Gender Reassignment Procedures

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Obama Returns to End-of-Life Plan, blames ol’ Bush… (NYT,WSJ)

San Jose Care Resource Guide: So Obama is after Grandma again (Ok, maybe Great-Grandma).

Quoting the New York Times:

“…When a proposal to encourage end-of-life planning touched off a political storm over “death panels,” Democrats dropped it from legislation to overhaul the health care system. But the Obama administration will achieve the same goal by regulation, starting Jan. 1…”

Hey, we have the bully pulpit: If we can’t get it voted in, let us decree !

“…Under the new policy, outlined in a Medicare regulation, the government will pay doctors who advise patients on options for end-of-life care, which may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment…”

Question is:  Why does  the Obama administration want to take the risk of substantial fallout? For the possible Medicare savings, so that it continue catering to pet constituencies?

Answer:  Maybe, but more like social engineering and liberal credo  above all and   ”Damn the torpedoes” !

 Quoting the Wall Street Journal    (Dec,27,2010):

“…The new Medicare rule, issued Dec. 3, is less specific. It says advance-care planning includes a discussion of setting up an advance directive that would tell doctors what to do if the patient is too ill to make medical decisions…”

“… It [the White House] said the George W. Bush administration had already put in place guidelines allowing for Medicare to pay for end-of-life consultations….”      So, Obama tries to blame President Bush for this shameful attempt at pressuring the eldely and/or very sick to call it quits. Facts are a little bit different.  Quoting the WSJ’s article  again:

“…Corrections & Amplifications :
Congress passed a law making changes to Medicare in 2008 by overriding President George W. Bush’s veto. A previous version of this [WSJ] article incorrectly said Mr. Bush signed the legislation…”     Ooops! 

Let us now imagine the Dialogue Doctor and sick elderly. It would go something like this:

Medicare Doctor: Good morning Ms Jane Doe! How are we this morning?

Sick Elderly: Oh not so good: I feel weak and in pain.

Medicare Doctor:  Well, Jane, I afraid it is not go going to get better. Probably worse….

Sick Elderly:  What can you do for me?

Medicare Doctor: Jane there is this [expensive] chemotherapy , but the side effects will be hard. More [expensive] surgery is possible, but there are no promises that you will feel better, in fact probably worse….

Sick Elderly: But I will see my grand kids for a little longer….

Medicare Doctor: You might not be able to enjoy them through the coming pain…In fact it might be a traumatizing sight for them.

Sick Elderly: Really, I did not think of that….

Medicare Doctor: I am authorized to let you know we can help you part with dignity and less pain. Think of it…

Was the Sick Elderly lied to?  Probably not.  Was she led to believe it is OK to end a life softly and at will?  Probably so. You see, folks, it boils down to your philosophy: In a G-dless world were life is just an accident of nature, euthanasia  or the killing softly of the very sick could make sense to a lot of people. To a lot of  people turning their back on the Bible that is…..

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Powerful Center for Medicare and Medicare (CMS) information has been updated

SJCRG: This powerful careging info from theUS  Govnm’t has been updated. Here is the link

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FairCareMD: A Cyber Marketplace For Doctors and Patients

SJCRG: FairCareMD,  a Cyber Marketplace For Doctors and Patients… Is this an idea whose time has come, ….or not?

Here is the link.    

You type into a form  the medical service you need and doctors will bid for it.    That reminds me of similar markets  programmers and clients. I have a hard time with this, but that might be a generational hangup…

And I will throw in an X-Ray...

What do you think?

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Medicare: Updates of Search tools and Directories For Care Facilities on Medicare Site

SJCRG: An update of powerful search tools in medicare.gov site

Here is an excerpt of the tools:

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Comments to “Medicare Improves Access To Preventive Services For 2011 (medilexicon)”

SJCRG: Preventive services. Sounds wondeful, but let us think for a minute. The healthcare pie is shrinking, so where is the money for preventative services coming from? You guessed it from healthcare services to the currently ill/disabled!

Proofs?  

• Our nov 7 ,2010 post on wheelchair funding
• Physicians pay cut, i.e. less services ( AMA)
• SJCRG: Even more pressing question: Do preventive services prevent?
  • Here is a link to an article by Joseph W. Stubbs, Fellow of the American Colledge of Physician. Quoting: “…Too often our patients extract a psychological reassurance from screening tests that is not grounded in reality…”

Bottom line: Are  prevention programs  genuine medical toosl, or “feel good social engineering”?  Truth is probably in between. But to rob the diagnosed  ill’s funds and give it to prevention with often questionable effectivess?

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Medicare Plans: comparison and changes window November 15 – December 31

Care Resource Guide:

From Disability.Gov:

“..You can compare and change your Medicare plan from November 15 – December 31. New benefits in 2011 include free wellness check-ups, cancer screenings and better ways to protect you from fraud. There’ll also be lower drug costs for people who reach the Part D donut hole in 2011.  For more information about Medicare coverage read the new publication Medicare & You 2011.

Here is the main link for these choices at Medicare.gov

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How well does your HMO rank (ConsumerReport)?

Care Resource Guide: Here is a link to a Consumer Report ranking of HMOs       (Health Maintenance Organization ).

Surgery

Surprised? Let us know!

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