Tell CMS Not to Create More Burdens for People with Medicare through this “Fix” The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees the Medicare program, is seeking comments on a proposed rule that would completely restructure how Medicare providers are paid. This new proposal could have significant, negative implications for people with Medicare. We encourage those who are interested in Medicare policy to let CMS know about your concerns before the comment period closes on Monday, September 10. Read below to learn what’s in the proposal and what you can do to respond before the deadline! Currently, Medicare providers are paid through a complicated reporting process that involves a number of billing codes—where providers claim a certain level of
reimbursement based, in part, on the complexity of the care they give. For example, providers are paid a smaller amount for simpler, shorter visits, and a larger amount for visits where more issues are handled and at a greater depth. Providers have raised concerns about this payment system, noting that it is difficult for them to know what level of visit they should claim and that the documentation is both time consuming in nature and prone to inaccuracies. To purportedly ease the administrative burden on providers, CMS has proposed a complete overhaul of this process. At Medicare Rights, we are pleased that CMS is tackling this longstanding issue, but the
details of the proposed solution are worse than the problem itself. Instead of clarifying how the codes are to be used, CMS plans to collapse the codes together and pay only a flat fee per office visit—no matter how major or minor the visit is. This creates a situation where a 5-minute check in would be paid the same as an indepth exploration of several significant conditions. We fear such a system would incentivize providers to shorten visits and, in some cases, to schedule more visits to cover what could likely have been covered in a single, longer visit. Shorter, more frequent visits would mean more cost sharing for patients, and more burden in traveling to and from
appointments. People in rural areas or those who rely on family or other caregivers would be especially harmed. In the worst cases, it may drive some providers out of the Medicare program entirely, reducing people’s access to care. This would be particularly devastating for beneficiaries who rely on certain specialty providers and those who live in rural or underserved areas. We support efforts to clarify the reimbursement codes for providers, but this is not the way to proceed. At the very least, CMS should run small tests on their proposals to ensure that it would not harm beneficiary access to care or increase financial or physical burdens. Comments were due by September 10, 2018. However, I thought it is good information.
IRS Advises Many Americans Who Will Pay More in Taxes After GOP Tax Scam to Adjust Withholding Congressional auditors from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have discovered that about 30 million taxpayers will have to pay extra taxes next spring as a result of employers under-withholding taxes from paychecks. The IRS advises taxpayers who support dependents to check their withholding now. The necessary IRS forms and Tax Calculator can be be found here. Many employers operated under government issued tables keyed to the tax scam passed last December, but employers
estimated lower taxes based on inaccurate tables and promises by the administration. While the new tax scam is not solely to blame for the large number of employees affected, under-withholding due to the flawed tables has directly impacted at least three million workers. Under-reporting taxes in paychecks makes the take-home pay seem higher, but workers are then hit with increased tax payments during filing season. Many workers were supposed to
see increased wages and lower taxes as a result of the tax law, but instead only 4% of workers have experienced a wage increase or a bonus. Meanwhile, large corporations are experiencing increased profits and CEO's are experiencing salaries 312 times higher than the average worker. The audit came at the request of senior Democratic Senators who were concerned with the withholding tables earlier this year. At the time, Treasury
Secretary Steve Mnuchin called the notion "ridiculous." "The GAO report highlights the true scam that the tax law has brought upon workers in our country," said President Roach. "The GOP's broken promises deceived workers into thinking that they would reap the benefits of tax cuts. Instead, we are experiencing stagnant wages while the richest corporations and CEO's continue to get richer. Taking the IRS’s withholding advice will at least minimize the damage."
Pharma chief defends 400% drug price rise as a ‘moral requirement’ A pharma executive has defended his decision to raise the price of an antibiotic mixture to more than $2,000 a bottle, arguing there was a “moral requirement to sell the product at the highest price”. Last month, Nostrum Laboratories, a small Missour i
-based drugmaker, more that was first marketed than quadrupled the price in 1953, which appears of a bottle of on the World Health nitrofurantoin from Organization’s list of $474.75 to $2,392, essential medicines. It according to Elsevier’s Gold comes in a tablet form as well as Standard drug database. a liquid version that Nostrum Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic makes. used to treat bladder infections
In an interview, Nirmal Mulye, Nostrum chief executive, said he had priced the product according to market dynamics, adding: “I think it is a moral requirement to make money when you can . . . to sell the product for the highest price.” ...Read More
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