- Last week, Senate Finance Health Subcommittee Chair Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) proposed giving the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) jurisdiction over Medicare reimbursement decisions. At present, MedPAC advises Congress on Medicare issues.
Rockefeller said, “You take a MedPAC and give them the money and the time to … go all around the country and they can dissect health care. To me, they’re a lot better deal than having Congress do it and politics do it.” (Source)
- In an effort to reduce costs and save money, the government plans to change how patients choose medical equipment suppliers. Medicare will pay for devices sold only by approved suppliers selected through competitive bidding.
Tyler Wilson of the American Association for Homecare says the change will result in lower quality and lower access to care for beneficiaries and that savings from the change would be small. (Source)
- After North Texas beneficiaries complained about UnitedHealth’s Evercare program’s inadequate access to care, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced that effective May 31, it will terminate its contract with the program. HHSC filed over 1,300 complaints about the program between February 2008 and December 2008. (Source)
