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liveonearthMedicare Bill Passes Into Law After Congress Overrides Presidential Veto.....so we are perpetuating the flow of federal moneys into the hands of doctors and psychiatrists by way of federal health insurance. Our congress is propping up our failing medical system.... because they are so worried about getting votes that they will do anything to appear that they care about our health.....Ironically they voted for the impending changes back in June, and this bill was simply them reversing themselves from June. Our congress is a bunch of scared sheep. Where are the wolves??? We need some wolves to eat up these sheep. In the house 41 voted against the override of Shrub's veto, and I'll bet you a dollar Ron Paul was one of them.
--Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (HR 6331) is now law
--delays cuts in reimbursements to physicians treating Medicare beneficiaries and military personnel (how long???)
--new bill just passed phases out higher copayments for mental illness (the APA loves this part)
--Shrub vetoed it, saying the bill is "objectionable" because it takes funds from private health insurers to keep paying physicians (we can't make the insurance industry pay for a thing now, can we shrub?)
--insurance industry was only group opposed to plan (according to medscape article, but I would bet you that Ron Paul and the libertarians were also opposed and still not getting covered)
--House overruled Shrub quickly 383 to 41 and senate followed suit 70 to 26
--there was a cut in Medicare & Tricare (military) payments to physicians scheduled
--the AMA supported it to "protect the health of America" said Nancy
--Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, president of the American Medical Association (AMA)
--more Nancy: "Along with the AMA, many patient, physician, and military groups called on Congress to pass this bipartisan bill. The only group opposing the bill was the health insurance lobby, which was eager to protect health plan subsidies and profits. Seniors, the disabled, and military families celebrate with us today as this bill becomes law to protect their access to needed healthcare," she said.
--the scheduled cuts were passed by the House on June 25 by a vote of 355 to 59 (reps = herd animals)
--planned cuts were 10.6% in payments to physicians who treat Medicare patients, 1.1% payment increase in 2009, legislation to make coverage of mental illness more equitable (??)
--On July 9, Sen Edward M. Kennedy (1st appearance since brain cancer) returned to the Senate to break a Republican filibuster on the bill
--the American Psychiatric Association (APA) urged Congress to override Shrub's veto
--Section 102 of the bill "ends the blatant inequality in [copayment] required for all mental-health services under Medicare Part B," the APA stated. For more than 40 years, Medicare required 50% copayment for outpatient psychiatric care, while all other Part B services required a 20% copayment. The new bill will ensure that starting in 2014, copayment for mental health services is the same 20% as for all other Part B services, it noted.
--Section 175 of the bill provides coverage of benzodiazepines and barbiturates, drugs commonly and safely used to manage psychiatric and other health conditions, under Medicare Part D. "Without clinical justification, these medications were specifically excluded from the Medicare drug program," the APA added.
--codifies 6 classes of medication of clinical concern, so that almost all of certain types of medications commonly used for the treatment of medically vulnerable populations will be available under Part D. "The APA strongly supports the codification of this policy into law," the press release stated.
--THE APA WANTS TO MAKE SURE IT CAN GET THE BIGGEST FRACTION IT CAN OF THE FEDERAL DOLE
--The bill "fixes significant problems in the Medicare program," APA president Nada Stotland, MD, said...."easier access to psychiatrists and treatments that can relieve suffering"
I should note that I am in on page 105 of Ron Paul's book and he has me finally convinced that a welfare state sucks the compassion out of people because they believe that someone else (ie the govt) is taking care of their common man and so they don't have to.......
--Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (HR 6331) is now law
--delays cuts in reimbursements to physicians treating Medicare beneficiaries and military personnel (how long???)
--new bill just passed phases out higher copayments for mental illness (the APA loves this part)
--Shrub vetoed it, saying the bill is "objectionable" because it takes funds from private health insurers to keep paying physicians (we can't make the insurance industry pay for a thing now, can we shrub?)
--insurance industry was only group opposed to plan (according to medscape article, but I would bet you that Ron Paul and the libertarians were also opposed and still not getting covered)
--House overruled Shrub quickly 383 to 41 and senate followed suit 70 to 26
--there was a cut in Medicare & Tricare (military) payments to physicians scheduled
--the AMA supported it to "protect the health of America" said Nancy
--Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, president of the American Medical Association (AMA)
--more Nancy: "Along with the AMA, many patient, physician, and military groups called on Congress to pass this bipartisan bill. The only group opposing the bill was the health insurance lobby, which was eager to protect health plan subsidies and profits. Seniors, the disabled, and military families celebrate with us today as this bill becomes law to protect their access to needed healthcare," she said.
--the scheduled cuts were passed by the House on June 25 by a vote of 355 to 59 (reps = herd animals)
--planned cuts were 10.6% in payments to physicians who treat Medicare patients, 1.1% payment increase in 2009, legislation to make coverage of mental illness more equitable (??)
--On July 9, Sen Edward M. Kennedy (1st appearance since brain cancer) returned to the Senate to break a Republican filibuster on the bill
--the American Psychiatric Association (APA) urged Congress to override Shrub's veto
--Section 102 of the bill "ends the blatant inequality in [copayment] required for all mental-health services under Medicare Part B," the APA stated. For more than 40 years, Medicare required 50% copayment for outpatient psychiatric care, while all other Part B services required a 20% copayment. The new bill will ensure that starting in 2014, copayment for mental health services is the same 20% as for all other Part B services, it noted.
--Section 175 of the bill provides coverage of benzodiazepines and barbiturates, drugs commonly and safely used to manage psychiatric and other health conditions, under Medicare Part D. "Without clinical justification, these medications were specifically excluded from the Medicare drug program," the APA added.
--codifies 6 classes of medication of clinical concern, so that almost all of certain types of medications commonly used for the treatment of medically vulnerable populations will be available under Part D. "The APA strongly supports the codification of this policy into law," the press release stated.
--THE APA WANTS TO MAKE SURE IT CAN GET THE BIGGEST FRACTION IT CAN OF THE FEDERAL DOLE
--The bill "fixes significant problems in the Medicare program," APA president Nada Stotland, MD, said...."easier access to psychiatrists and treatments that can relieve suffering"
I should note that I am in on page 105 of Ron Paul's book and he has me finally convinced that a welfare state sucks the compassion out of people because they believe that someone else (ie the govt) is taking care of their common man and so they don't have to.......
