- Joined
- Jun 29, 2005
- Messages
- 541
- Reaction score
- 1
http://online.wsj.com/articl/SB124646885862181139.html#articleTabs=article
Here is a transcript of the Wall Street Journal article below (not good):
By JANE ZHANG
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration said Wednesday that it plans to cut Medicare payments for imaging services and specialists, and will use the savings to increase payments to physicians providing primary care.
Under the proposal, Medicare would put specialists' payments for evaluating and managing illnesses on par with those of primary-care physicians starting in January.
That, combined with other changes, would boost payments to internists, family physicians, general practitioners and geriatric specialists by 6% to 8% next year, said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that manages Medicare, the federal insurance program for the elderly and disabled.
Payments to cardiologists would be trimmed by 11% overall, but certain procedures they perform would see steeper reductions. Alfred Bove, president of the American College of Cardiology, figured that cardiologists would receive 42% less for an echocardiogram and 24% less for a cardiac catheterization.
Radiologists would see an estimated cut of 20% for imaging services using expensive equipment such as MRI and CT scans, said Bibb Allen, chairman of the commission on economics at the American College of Radiology. That would be in addition to the cuts imposed on radiologists under a 2005 law, he said.
The proposal, open for public comment until Aug. 31 and expected to be completed by Nov. 1, comes as the Obama administration seeks to boost the number of primary-care doctors to meet the needs of an aging population and care for the newly insured if legislation to overhaul the nation's health-care system is enacted.
The administration is already spending $500 million in stimulus funds to train more primary-care physicians and repay the student loans of primary-care doctors who work in underserved areas.
Legislation being debated in the House and the Senate also includes provisions intended to increase the number of primary-care physicians.
Ted Epperly, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said the Medicare proposal would help reduce the income gap among doctors -- specialists make two to five times as much as primary-care physicians -- and attract more medical students to primary care. He called the change "long overdue."
Groups representing cardiologists, radiologists and other specialists said they will lobby lawmakers to stop the cuts. Dr. Bove warned that "cutting back like this certainly threatens the successes we have had over the years with reducing heart disease."
Here is a transcript of the Wall Street Journal article below (not good):
By JANE ZHANG
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration said Wednesday that it plans to cut Medicare payments for imaging services and specialists, and will use the savings to increase payments to physicians providing primary care.
Under the proposal, Medicare would put specialists' payments for evaluating and managing illnesses on par with those of primary-care physicians starting in January.
That, combined with other changes, would boost payments to internists, family physicians, general practitioners and geriatric specialists by 6% to 8% next year, said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that manages Medicare, the federal insurance program for the elderly and disabled.
Payments to cardiologists would be trimmed by 11% overall, but certain procedures they perform would see steeper reductions. Alfred Bove, president of the American College of Cardiology, figured that cardiologists would receive 42% less for an echocardiogram and 24% less for a cardiac catheterization.
Radiologists would see an estimated cut of 20% for imaging services using expensive equipment such as MRI and CT scans, said Bibb Allen, chairman of the commission on economics at the American College of Radiology. That would be in addition to the cuts imposed on radiologists under a 2005 law, he said.
The proposal, open for public comment until Aug. 31 and expected to be completed by Nov. 1, comes as the Obama administration seeks to boost the number of primary-care doctors to meet the needs of an aging population and care for the newly insured if legislation to overhaul the nation's health-care system is enacted.
The administration is already spending $500 million in stimulus funds to train more primary-care physicians and repay the student loans of primary-care doctors who work in underserved areas.
Legislation being debated in the House and the Senate also includes provisions intended to increase the number of primary-care physicians.
Ted Epperly, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said the Medicare proposal would help reduce the income gap among doctors -- specialists make two to five times as much as primary-care physicians -- and attract more medical students to primary care. He called the change "long overdue."
Groups representing cardiologists, radiologists and other specialists said they will lobby lawmakers to stop the cuts. Dr. Bove warned that "cutting back like this certainly threatens the successes we have had over the years with reducing heart disease."
