Cancer clinics are turning away thousands of Medicare patients. Blame the sequester.

READ MORE....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/03/cancer-clinics-are-turning-away-thousands-of-medicare-patients-blame-the-sequester/?hpid=z1

Good, stupid free loaders want their cancer treatments on the government dime.  Less mouths to feed.

this may be too much information for you small mind but I am on medicare that I have been paying for since it began.  I am 70 and still working and paying the premium.  I hope that you don't get sick and your insurance refuses tro pay.  That was a small remark and did not add anything to this blog.

Quote from: shawshank1 on April 04, 2013, 08:56:04 AM
Good, stupid free loaders want their cancer treatments on the government dime.  Less mouths to feed.

Troll much?

Quote from: Solar on April 04, 2013, 09:58:55 AM
Troll much?

I think that person put foot in month before they thought about the difference between medicare and medicaid. But you are probably right a troll.

Now I will try and not put my foot in my month...lol IMO...medicare should never be touched. If that person paided into it so be it and leave it the hell alone. Now as far as medicaid goes all bets are off. Half the people should be kicked off of it and the other half...well I better leave it alone. My toe nails need a little trim before I put my foot in my month.

What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?


Medicare

Medicare is an insurance program. Medical bills are paid from trust funds which those covered have paid into. It serves people over 65 primarily, whatever their income; and serves younger disabled people and dialysis patients. Patients pay part of costs through deductibles for hospital and other costs. Small monthly premiums are required for non-hospital coverage. Medicare is a federal program. It is basically the same everywhere in the United States and is run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the federal government.

Medicaid

Medicaid is an assistance program. Medical bills are paid from federal, state and local tax funds. It serves low-income people of every age. Patients usually pay no part of costs for covered medical expenses. A small co-payment is sometimes required. Medicaid is a federal-state program. It varies from state to state. It is run by state and local governments within federal guidelines. To learn more about your state Medicaid program and other options available to you, use the insurance and coverage finder.

http://answers.hhs.gov/questions/3094

Quote from: shawshank1 on April 04, 2013, 08:56:04 AM
Good, stupid free loaders want their cancer treatments on the government dime.  Less mouths to feed.

Hint : Don't post crap that sounds like it came from a 7-year-old.  Bring your big-boy self to the discussion.

Quote from: Solar on April 04, 2013, 09:58:55 AM
Troll much?

There are a lot of people that think that Medicare and Medicaid are one and the same. That could very well be the case here.

We are going to be victims of something like this, but it won't be because of sequesters, it will be because of Obamacare.

Medicare/ObamaCare - what the heck is the difference, they are both government socialist programs.   

"Don't touch my medicare", whatever.  True American's ain't gonna support either.

Section 256(d) of BBEDCA contains special rules for the Medicare program in case of a
sequestration. However, while BBEDCA ordinarily limits reduction of certain Medicare spending
to 4% under a sequestration order (which would apply in the case of a Statutory PAYGO
sequestration), the BCA limits the size of this reduction to 2%.
As stated earlier, sequestration requires that all nonexempt programs must be reduced by a
uniform percentage. This percentage is calculated by OMB, based on the necessary amount of
spending reduction that must occur overall. Under a sequestration triggered by the BCA, if the
uniform percentage is less than 2%, it will be applied to all nonexempt accounts, including
Medicare. If the percentage is greater than 2%, then a 2% reduction will be made in Medicare
spending, and the uniform reduction percentage for the remaining programs will be recalculated
and increased by the amount necessary to achieve the total level of reductions needed. If
sequestration were triggered by Statutory PAYGO,
the process would be the same but Medicare
sequestration would be limited to 4%.
As explained earlier in this report, OMB has calculated that the uniform reduction percentage for
nondefense mandatory spending under the March 1 BCA sequester is more than 2%; thus,
Medicare sequestration will be limited to 2% and remaining nondefense mandatory spending will
be reduced by 5.1%.
Under sequestration, Medicare's benefit structure will generally remain unchanged (i.e.,
beneficiaries will not see a change in their Medica
re coverage). Additionally, spending for certain
Medicare programs and activities are exempt from sequestration and are therefore not reduced under a sequestration order. These include (1) Part D low-income subsidies;
39
(2) the Part D
catastrophic subsidy; and (3) Qualified Individual (QI) premiums.
40
For payments made under Medicare Parts A and B, the percentage reductions are to be made to
individual payments to providers for services (e.g., hospital and physician services). In the case of
Parts C and D, reductions are to be made to the monthly payments to the private plans that
administer these parts of Medicare. As noted above, reductions are to be made at a uniform rate
and are not to exceed 2%. In the case of inpatient services, the services are considered to be
furnished on the date of the individual's discharge from the inpatient facility. For services paid on
a reasonable cost basis,
41
the reduction is to be applied to payments for such services incurred at
any time during each cost reporting period during the sequestration period, for the portion of the
cost reporting period that occurs during the effective period of the order. For Part B services
provided under assignment,
42
the reduced payment is to be considered
payment in full
and the
Medicare beneficiary will not pay higher copayments to make up for the reduced amount. CBO
estimates that Medicare benefit spending will be reduced by about $100 billion over the nine-year
sequestration period.
43
Section 256(d) of BBEDCA specifies that the Secretary may not take into account any reductions
in payment amounts under sequestration for purposes of computing any adjustments to Medicare
payment rates, including the Part C growth percentage, the Part D annual growth rate, and the
determination of Medicare Part D risk corridors.
44
In other words, annual provider and plan
payment updates may be determined as if the reductions under sequestration had not taken place.
Special Considerations Regarding Medicare
The budgetary baseline that must be used in implementing a sequestration has special
implications with regard to Medicare. For direct spending, the baseline is to be calculated by
assuming that the laws providing or creating dire
ct spending will operate in the manner specified,
and that funding for entitlement authority is adequate to make all required payments.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42050.pdf

Page 10

Quote from: shawshank1 on April 04, 2013, 10:54:18 AM
Medicare/ObamaCare - what the heck is the difference, they are both government socialist programs.   

"Don't touch my medicare", whatever.  True American's ain't gonna support either.

Knowing what we know now, you're right. I'll agree with you this far...

1) Government has taken money from workers to set up safety nets, because people are too stupid to do it themselves. Medicare, social security, etc.

2) Government spent the money on other stuff.

3) Government says that our safety nets are in a state of crisis, and they need more money to fix them.

4) Repeat.

In the real world, this is known as a Ponzi scheme. People go to prison for it.

If anything this should be more proof (although it's false) that the healthcare industry should not be tied to the government. any sector dependent on the government will suffer when the government isn't operated efficiently.

Quote from: kramarat on April 04, 2013, 11:18:15 AM
Knowing what we know now, you're right. I'll agree with you this far...

1) Government has taken money from workers to set up safety nets, because people are too stupid to do it themselves. Medicare, social security, etc.

2) Government spent the money on other stuff.

3) Government says that our safety nets are in a state of crisis, and they need more money to fix them.

4) Repeat.

In the real world, this is known as a Ponzi scheme. People go to prison for it.

Which raises the question. Which financial institution is holding the SS Trust Fund? 

Quote from: The Boo Man... on April 04, 2013, 11:20:38 AM
If anything this should be more proof (although it's false) that the healthcare industry should not be tied to the government. any sector dependent on the government will suffer when the government isn't operated efficiently.

As a very old person, I would like to know when has the government ever operated efficiently? 

Quote from: walkstall on April 04, 2013, 11:56:13 AM
As a very old person, I would like to know when has the government ever operated efficiently?

When it's shut...

I woder how that applies to Medicaid users and imprisoned felons?