Medicare not going bankrupt

[bedrock]

A Huge Threat to the U.S. Budget Has Receded. And No One Is Sure Why.

Instead of growing and growing, as it always had, spending per Medicare beneficiary has nearly leveled off over more than a decade.

www.nytimes.com

Nice to know that it was so critical to cut SIJ RFA from Medicare.

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[Fpg1245]

A Huge Threat to the U.S. Budget Has Receded. And No One Is Sure Why.

Instead of growing and growing, as it always had, spending per Medicare beneficiary has nearly leveled off over more than a decade.

www.nytimes.com

Nice to know that it was so critical to cut SIJ RFA from Medicare.

I loved the wild speculation in the nyt comments section

At any rate, Medicare’s commitment to continually cut pay for services even making it mandatory means that no matter what happens Medicare will not be paying.

 

[SSdoc33]

it is unusual data.

but it is definitely good news, whatever the reasons for it

 

[drusso]

it is unusual data.

but it is definitely good news, whatever the reasons for it

This is the reason why. Obama F*&CK'ed us.

 

[SSdoc33]

This is the reason why. Obama F*&CK'ed us.

View attachment 376509

its not that simple, but in general, i agree.

in broad terms, obamacare was good for patients but bad for physicians.....

 

[Ferrismonk]

Wait, so now the AMA cares?

 

[buddababa]

just got notification that Effective October 1st, Medicare will now require a prior authorization for genicular nerve blocks and ablations. (hospital based clinic) - forget that medicare advantage plans dont cover this as it is - this is gonna make treated failed tka pain/general knee pain even harder and more cumbersome -

 

[MitchLevi]

Genicular RFA $700 cash. Skip the ridiculous nerve block.

 

[callmeanesthesia]

This is the reason why. Obama F*&CK'ed us.

View attachment 376509

I’m not seeing how that chart shows it’s Obama’s fault. The biggest drop on the chart is during the Bush years. I’m aware Obamacare has had problems, but you can’t pin stagnant physician pay on that.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

I’m not seeing how that chart shows it’s Obama’s fault. The biggest drop on the chart is during the Bush years. I’m aware Obamacare has had problems, but you can’t pin stagnant physician pay on that.

its typical conserviturd speak. When nothing works, blame Obama.

 

[Ferrismonk]

its typical conserviturd speak. When nothing works, blame Obama.

Similar to what Obama did, blame Bush.

 

[Dr. Ice]

Genicular RFA $700 cash. Skip the ridiculous nerve block.

The two ridiculous nerve blocks

 

[bedrock]

The two ridiculous nerve blocks

I thought only one block of 50% relief is needed for genicular RFA ?

 

[Painologist]

Genicular RFA $700 cash. Skip the ridiculous nerve block.

I have a patient who wants to pay cash for this. Didn't even consider skipping the diagnostic block until now. Good call

 

[Dr. Ice]

I thought only one block of 50% relief is needed for genicular RFA ?

Really?

 

[doctalaughs]

its typical conserviturd speak. When nothing works, blame Obama.

Obamacare put on a band aid on a massively broken system by a mixture of payment cuts and shifting money directly from employed workers to Medicaid and funding of aid-based “exchange” plans. It was enough to delay implosion of the whole system for a decade or two while the corporate middlemen continue to loot the GDP.

We should have just let things implode and start from ground up again.

 

[MitchLevi]

Really?

Genicular is one block.

It's completely ridiculous.

 

[Ducttape]

you can get the nerve block covered by insurance. need only 1.

it is a consideration to do 1 block under insurance to see how a patient would tolerate the block and whether the benefit from the block is worth shelling out for the RFA.

kind of depends on the deductible. there is one insurance i deal with that has a $350 copay for procedures.

 

[MitchLevi]

I'm curious to know why a GNB is approved by insurance but GRFA generally is not.

Doing geniculars is a losing proposition. Your practice does not benefit from doing them.

I'm doing a cash GRFA today at like 10AM, and we skipped the GNB bc it's dumb...

In the time it takes to do a GRFA, you could be doing 2-3 ESI/MBB.

 

[buddababa]

Genicular RFA $700 cash. Skip the ridiculous nerve block.

getting my hospital to do anything cash related in terms of procedures is more difficult than finding a cure of all cancers

Really?

yup