Federal Healthcare/Medicare Updates:

EXECUTIVE BRANCH:

     Using a summer recess appointment, President Barack Obama has made Dr. Donald Berwick the top administrator for Medicare and Medicaid. President Obama obviously was not willing to permit the Senate to do its work. According to press reports, the Democratically controlled Senate had not yet scheduled any hearings because Dr. Berwick was nominated only about 5 weeks before. It is hard to understand why this appointment had to be made so rapidly during a brief summer recess, other than to put a very controversial person in place without his being appropriately vetted by the system. The position has been vacant for more than three years, going back to 2006.

     This does not promise to be good for America's Seniors or for America's doctors. Dr Berwick is a pediatrician, so he has NO EXPERIENCE providing health care for Medicare-aged patients. His personal medical practice experience is most likely with only ONE State Medicaid program. He believes in using healthcare as a way to redistribute American citizens' wealth, and he is a major supporter for the British Healthcare System. Some in the press are calling him "the Rationing Czar" .

     It is worth noting that both the insurance industry and the big, corporate hospitals supported Dr. Berwick's appointment, while most physician based professional associations opposed it.

     More information is available at the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS).

CONGRESSSIONAL BRANCH:

      For the 4th time in 2010, Congress has temporarily delayed the more than 21% cut in what your health care providers can be legally paid to provide medical care to Medicare Patients. The 28% cut has deis now scheduled to become effective on November 30, 2010. The planned cut was 21%, but Medicare has decided that because the cuts have been delayed four times this year already, they will cut physicians 7% more this coming November. This disrespectful treatment of America's physicians is endangering Medicare patients' future access to health care, as well as for our Military families.

     Because Congress did not want to be honest about Medicare's long term future, Congress put Federal Price Controls on your doctors in 1992. Over the years, these price controls have been repeatedly cut, to the point that the Texas Medical Asssociation has estimated that Congress is forcing Texas physicians to personally pay for 35% of the costs to care for Texas's Medicare Patients.

     Health Care Reform did not solve this problem. In fact, it is making access to health care more difficult in upcoming years. Unless profound changes are made soon, more and more of America's physicians will choose to get out of the Medicare system altogether. They will have no choice but to see Medicare patients on a cash pay basis only. The problem with that option is that under current rules, Medicare will not reimburse Medicare patients for those cash pay expenses.

     I urge you to stay is close contact with your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative about protecting your rights to control your future health care options.