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No, it's not forgotten. Those "lifetime limits" are disclosed when one enrolls in the plan. And not all plans even have lifetime limits.
Seniors paid into the Medicare system all these years with NO cap, meaning ALL earned income was taxed at the full rate for Medicare. All that time, there was never any mention of limits and restrictions on hospital readmissions for relapses or complications from illness or surgery.
Limiting Medicare patient readmissions for relapses and/or complications WILL cost lives.
Seniors, you better hope you don't become ill or require surgery after hospitals have already hit their readmissions limit...
Oh, stop already. We get it. The president wants to enact "Soylent Green."
The NPR report doesn't support the claim that hospitals with lower mortality rates will be adversely affected. In fact, what it says is:
Quote:
Starting in October 2013, Medicare plans to take mortality rates into account when reimbursing hospitals under its so-called value-based purchasing formula. Mortality rates will initially count for 25 percent of the bonuses or penalties hospitals will receive, with the rest determined by patient ratings and measures showing how often hospitals followed basic clinical care guidelines.
In other words, if you have a high readmission rate, such as was found with some of these hospitals but a lower mortality rate as a result, that will be taken into account. The ones that will be most affected are the ones with high readmission rates that coincide with high mortality rates.
The NPR report also says:
Quote:
Separately, Medicare recently awarded Beth Israel a $4.9 million grant to work on improvements to care in the month after hospital discharge. The goal: cut hospital readmissions within 30 days by 30 percent.
In other words, if they can improve care after discharge, they can reduce readmissions. So guys and gals, this is not the big boogey man Faux would have you believe.
The NPR report doesn't support the claim that hospitals with lower mortality rates will be adversely affected. In fact, what it says is...
Quote:
Starting in October 2013, Medicare plans to take mortality rates into account when reimbursing hospitals under its so-called value-based purchasing formula. Mortality rates will initially count for 25 percent of the bonuses or penalties hospitals will receive, with the rest determined by patient ratings and measures showing how often hospitals followed basic clinical care guidelines.
In other words, if you have a high readmission rate, such as was found with some of these hospitals but a lower mortality rate as a result, that will be taken into account. The ones that will be most affected are the ones with high readmission rates that coincide with high mortality rates.
In other words? It doesn't say that at all. Read the link in the NPR article. It refers to OUTPATIENT services, not hospital admissions or readmissions.
Quote:
In other words, if you have a high readmission rate, such as was found with some of these hospitals but a lower mortality rate as a result, that will be taken into account.
Totally false. In your overarching attempt to defend Obama's targeting seniors for reduced access to medical care, you've erroneously conflated outpatient services regulations with Obama's Medicare readmission limits and restrictions regulations.
In other words? It doesn't say that at all. Read the link in the NPR article. It refers to OUTPATIENT services, not hospital admissions or readmissions.
Well, apparently you didn't read your own link. The NPR was about - wait for it - readmission rates.
Quote:
In your overarching attempt to defend Obama's targeting seniors for reduced access to medical care, you've erroneously conflated outpatient services regulations with Obama's Medicare readmission limits and restrictions regulations.
What part of "Starting in October 2013, Medicare plans to take mortality rates into account " (with respect to readmission rates) did you not understand? It came from your link. If you have a problem with the contents, I suggest you take it up with the author.
Well, apparently you didn't read your own link. The NPR was about - wait for it - readmission rates.
What part of "Starting in October 2013, Medicare plans to take mortality rates into account " did you not understand? It came from your link. If you have a problem with the contents, I suggest you take it up with the author.
Good grief. Click on the link in the quote and read it.
Those are the payment policies for OUTPATIENT services. OUTPATIENTS aren't admitted into hospitals. That has NOTHING to do with the limits and restrictions Obama placed on Medicare readmissions.
Here we have yet another example of Pew Research's findings: Those who vote for Democrats are the LEAST informed.
Hosptial outpatient services for medicare has nothing to do with the hospital readmittance policy for medicare patients.
Two totally different things.
If your heart stops you are NOT going to the outpatient section of the hospital.
And if you heart stops within 30 days of discharge, again, they are not bringing you to the outpatient section of the hospital.
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