Medicare

Maneuvering to improve prospects for sweeping healthcare legislation, Senate Democrats hope first to win quick approval for a bill that grants doctors a $247-billion increase in Medicare fees over a decade but raises federal deficits in the process, officials said Wednesday. By creating a two-bill approach, Democrats can contend that the more comprehensive healthcare measure meets President Obama's conditions -- that it will neither add to deficits nor exceed $900 billion in costs over 10 years.

In an effort to reconcile a nearly $250-billion difference between the House and Senate approaches to overhauling healthcare, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is pushing a bill to halt scheduled reductions in Medicare payments to physicians. The measure, introduced last week by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), would end the cuts and set Medicare payment rates at current levels. Doing so would allow Democrats to maintain the American Medical Assn.'s support for an overhaul without having to absorb the cost of higher doctor payments in the final healthcare bill.

With budget anxieties pervading the congressional healthcare debate, the Senate on Wednesday sidetracked popular legislation to increase Medicare payments to doctors by nearly $250 billion over the next decade. Voicing concern about adding that much money to the federal deficit, a coalition of 12 centrist Democrats, one independent and all the Senate's Republicans voted to block consideration of the bill, at least for now. The goal of the bill -- to overturn a scheduled 21% reduction in doctors' fees under Medicare -- enjoys broad bipartisan support.

A plan to slash more than $500 billion from future Medicare spending -- one of the biggest sources of funding for President Obama's proposed overhaul of the nation's healthcare system -- would sharply reduce benefits for some senior citizens and could jeopardize access to care for millions of others, according to a government evaluation released Saturday. Medicare cuts, proposed by the House in its healthcare package, were likely to prove so costly to hospitals and nursing homes that they could stop taking Medicare patients altogether, said the report, which was requested by House Republicans.

Re: "Health Net settles suits on rescissions," Feb. 12: The story understates an issue that has been a huge problem in the healthcare arena. As a family physician for 47 years, I've had numerous delays and rejections from insurance companies. Rescissions are only one part of the problem. Most healthcare providers are aware that the for-profit insurance industry doesn't function in the best interests of the patient. The time is overdue for a not-for-profit, universal, single-payer program, such as Medicare, for all residents.

Re "Winning the medicine game," March 15: The story paints a near-hopeless picture. We are at the mercy of a healthcare system run amok, taken advantage of by health insurers and the pharmaceutical industry. Efforts for the public to legally and safely obtain medications from abroad may offer a ray of hope. But the only realistic solution to this dilemma is being jump-started again in California, the single-payer initiative. It would cover prescriptions for every legal resident in the state without co-pays or deductibles.

Alzheimer's programs: An article in the June 5 California section about Alzheimer's programs threatened by budget cuts said that Adriana Trevino relies on Medi-Cal to pay health costs not covered by Medicare. She is covered by Medicare only. The article also described Trevino's home as a boarding house. She rents out extra rooms in her home but does not provide other services associated with a boardinghouse, such as meals.

Re: "Medical bills tied to more bankruptcies," June 4: There is no doubt that we need universal health coverage, but the private insurers have already demonstrated that they don't protect people from financial ruin because of medically related expenses. We need universal, single-payer healthcare, such as Medicare. Everyone would have coverage and nobody would suffer bankruptcy as a result of medical bills. It would not cost more than is spent per patient now because the most expensive patients are seniors over age 65, and they're already covered by Medicare.

The former co-owner and board chairman of City of Angels Medical Center pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to paying illegal kickbacks in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medi-Cal. Robert Bourseau, 74, is the fourth person to plead guilty in a widespread plan to exploit those living on the streets for their medical benefits. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Bourseau has agreed to pay more than $4.1 million to Medicare and Medi-Cal. -- Richard Winton

Re "Health reform accord in House," July 30 To all those politicians out there trying to defeat healthcare reform and a public option, please note: When you use as your talking point, "We have the best medical services and healthcare system in the world," you fail to end your sentence with three additional words: "For the rich." Steve Binder Oxnard -- As a retiree, I find Medicare to be an eminently workable single-payer insurance plan. Private insurance companies are not shut out -- they have the chance to compete for my dollar because I buy the optional supplemental Medicare insurance.