BUSH WOULD LIMIT MEDICARE APPEALS
President Bush and HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson want to make it harder for Medicare beneficiaries to appeal the denial of such benefits as home health care and skilled nursing home care. Thompson says it would be more "efficient" for HHS to control the appeals process, rather than letting the frail and elderly have access to an independent judicial review.
http://atsh.org/news/bush_appeals.html
FDA TAKES AIM AT CANADIAN DRUG IMPORTERS
The FDA has done an an about-face from and now says that groups which help seniors import prescription drugs from Canada risk being "found criminally liable." But seniors groups are defiant and say they will continue running bus trips to Canada and helping seniors order drugs over the Internet.
http://atsh.org/news/glaxo_fda.html
HOUSE CUTS MEDICARE RX BENEFITS
At one time the debate was said to be about guns and butter. These days it's about prescription drug funding and tax cuts. In an effort to cut taxes by the nearly $726 billion sought by President Bush, the House Budget Committee passed a budget resolution last week reducing Medicare spending by $215 billion and Medicaid by $93 billion over the next decade.
http://atsh.org/news/rx_funds.html
IN THE FORUMS ...
"Forcing seniors into HMOs to get prescription coverage is a bad idea," says Marianne in our "What Would You Tell President Bush" forum. Besides being a rarity in rural areas, HMOs "are useless to the point of almost being a joke," added Tom. The forum is still open. Feel free to add your comments.
http://atsh.org/phorum/read.php?f=5&i=88&t=88
THE UNINSURED ARE A DIVERSE GROUP
Of the roughly 41 million Americans who lacked health insurance for all of 2001, nearly 18 million had moderate-to-high incomes, while 14 million were eligible for publicly-funded programs but weren't enrolled, according to a report highlighting the diversity of the nation's uninsured population.
http://atsh.org/news/uninsured.html
NURSING HOMES FEAR RISING LITIGATION COSTS
Lawsuits directed towards long-term care facilities are diverting Medicaid resources that should be used for patient care, a Harvard study finds. A survey examining nursing home litigation trends shows attorneys reporting a significant increase in the number of nursing home claims and the average size of recoveries in the past five years.
http://atsh.org/news/litigation.html