Comments on: Medicare change tries to limit hospital visits
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- "Medicare change tries to limit hospital visits" is totally misleading; there is no limit imposed on any person going to a hospital.
It merely tries to motivate medical service providers to give a level of care needed to limit the necessity of patients having to return to get the previous encounter fixed....... - Reply to this comment
- Doctors have the right to refuse medicaid patients, now will hospitals have the right to refuse treatment for some ailments to medicare patients? I have a 140 page booklet from my Medicare drug program to read and 140 page booklet from Medicare changes for 2013 to read. I won't understand half of what they say. I knew the Medicare booklet will be to explain higher monthly rates and less benefits, so I really don't have to read that. Medicare could save a lot of money if they stop sending these booklets out, just a letter saying what will change in benefits for the next year would do.
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- Glad to see there is an accountability process for inpatient admissions/readmissions. Instead of politicizing everything, people need to realize that hospitals are more accountable to insurance payments than to their patients. It's a business!! When you go to visit your doctor or go to an emergency room or a hospital understand YOU HAVE ENTERED A BUSINESS OFFICE!!! They are in it to make money even the "non-profits" are a BUSINESS!!!!!! Hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid will get paid..its the private insurance and private "self pays" that drive the cost up with the continual payment games that are paid. Such a complicated issue... It's time to change it and make insurance companies accountable. If you only knew...you would not be so quick to judge the Affordable Healthcare Act and it's intent to control costs.
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- You can't take 700 plus billion from Medicare and not reduce the level and quality of care. There are other reductions that have received less press and many start this year. Even the advantage plans for 2013 are seeing increased recipient cost which will reduce care.
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- Private insurance plans have created a culture in hospitals to get patients out the door as quickly as possible to manage the cost of claims. For the elderly in particular, the rush to the door often leaves them confused about treatments and sometimes leaves them still in need of care. The end result is the patient returns within a month. The admission/discharge/readmission process is itself costly. If the penalty creates a financial disincentive to balance the financial incentive to empty beds, the result will be a balance between patient care and business. We will all see how it works out. Based on personal experience with three parents/in-laws going through the medical system, this has to be a better approach than the status quo.
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- "Not all hospitals are failing to meet these guidelines. Some hospital executive told CBS News the initiative is not all bad. In fact, some of those hospitals are developing their own programs to keep people healthier once they do get home and out of the hospital"---My experience with hospitalization was 1) care in the hospital, 2) care within a rehabilitation facility and 3) home care (although the latter was brief and unnecessary). So, follow this 3 step process and prevent a return to the hospital.
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- Cubscout, Very accurate. A number of associates have had problems with their knee replacement surgeries. Currently if the alignment is wrong, the surgeon gets paid again to fix it. He/she should be accountable at some level to get it right the first time. That being said, the patients also have the responsibility to continue their meds when they leave the hospital and attend their PT so they minimize infections and pneumonia.
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- Yep, have to pass that thing to know what's in it....
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- We as patients expect the doctors and nurses at hospitals to give accurate diagnosis and treatment including followup treatment when needed. They should not require the incentive of loosing some of their benefits to supply good quality healthcare. I do not think that $99,000.00 out of $100,000 is enough to hurt the hospitals but may give them pause to think...
That said, it seems that the real intent of this politically timed report is to show the Affordable Health Care Act in a less than good way.
The truth is the Affordable Health Care Act offers is a real step forward and is far and away better than anything the GOP has to offer.
Still, what Americans want and deserve is Universal Health Care for all which will get the crooked health insurance denying companies off of our backs permenantly.
One way to speed this up is to vote the GOP obstructionists out of office.
AMERICANS VOTE THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET IN NOVEMBER. - Reply to this comment
- This headline is misleading and inflammatory.
Outcome based medical billing is part of the solution to egregiously soaring medical costs.
If a mechanic screws up and doesn't properly fix my car, and it is their fault, they don't charge me to correct the problem. I've experienced an incorrectly installed timing chain, a missing engine compartment panel, incompatible replacement brakes, head gaskets that didn't seal, on and on. In the last 15 months, two immediate members of my family have been sent to the emergency room because the medical professional made a mistake. Why should the medical profession be any different? - Reply to this comment
