Comments on: A new $29 B gimmick in the reconciliation bill http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/ Your guide to American economic policy Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:41:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Hot Air » Blog Archive » Will Dems sneak a second “doctor fix” through Congress? http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-16022 Hot Air » Blog Archive » Will Dems sneak a second “doctor fix” through Congress? Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:37:29 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-16022 [...] Keith Hennessey first blew the whistle on this shell game almost two weeks ago.  With an avalanche of reports of unintended (or intended) consequences landing in media reports over the past week, this is a good time to review why the ObamaCare bill has them — and why it won’t work. [...]<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('16022','Hot Air » Blog Archive » Will Dems sneak a second “doctor fix” through Congress?'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('16022','Hot Air » Blog Archive » Will Dems sneak a second “doctor fix” through Congress?','[...] Keith Hennessey first blew the whistle on this shell game almost two weeks ago.  With an avalanche of reports of unintended (or intended) consequences landing in media reports over the past week, this is a good time to review why the ObamaCare bill has them — and why it won’t work. [...]'); return false;">Quote</a></div> [...] Keith Hennessey first blew the whistle on this shell game almost two weeks ago.  With an avalanche of reports of unintended (or intended) consequences landing in media reports over the past week, this is a good time to review why the ObamaCare bill has them — and why it won’t work. [...]
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]]> By: Keith Hennessey http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-15962 Keith Hennessey Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:29:52 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-15962 CBO is required to score the legislative language given to them. In this case they did so accurately. I have instead made a point that such language is politically unsustainable. That's a judgment call on my part, and one that CBO is precluded from making when they score the legislation. <div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('15962','Keith Hennessey'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('15962','Keith Hennessey','CBO is required to score the legislative language given to them. In this case they did so accurately. I have instead made a point that such language is politically unsustainable. That's a judgment call on my part, and one that CBO is precluded from making when they score the legislation. '); return false;">Quote</a></div> CBO is required to score the legislative language given to them. In this case they did so accurately. I have instead made a point that such language is politically unsustainable. That's a judgment call on my part, and one that CBO is precluded from making when they score the legislation.
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]]> By: tomllewis http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-15940 tomllewis Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:55:20 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-15940 Keith, Obama budgets have pushed % of GDP up to 25%. <a href="http://bit.ly/bf1kwK" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/bf1kwK</a> Do you know what % of GDP is spent by ALL the States? <div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('15940','tomllewis'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('15940','tomllewis','Keith, Obama budgets have pushed % of GDP up to 25%. <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/bf1kwK\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/bit.ly\/bf1kwK<\/a> Do you know what % of GDP is spent by ALL the States? '); return false;">Quote</a></div> Keith, Obama budgets have pushed % of GDP up to 25%. http://bit.ly/bf1kwK Do you know what % of GDP is spent by ALL the States?
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]]> By: Hugh http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-15932 Hugh Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:54:12 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-15932 If Keith Hennessy can reconcile these gimmicks designed to generate a budget "surplus" why then can't the CBO (or heaven forbid, the press)? Why can't the CBO throw a flag like an NFL ref? Whistle......"Medicaid encroachment on Speaker of the House, $29 billion penalty, repeat the down".<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('15932','Hugh'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('15932','Hugh','If Keith Hennessy can reconcile these gimmicks designed to generate a budget \"surplus\" why then can\'t the CBO (or heaven forbid, the press)? Why can\'t the CBO throw a flag like an NFL ref? Whistle......\"Medicaid encroachment on Speaker of the House, $29 billion penalty, repeat the down\".'); return false;">Quote</a></div> If Keith Hennessy can reconcile these gimmicks designed to generate a budget “surplus” why then can’t the CBO (or heaven forbid, the press)? Why can’t the CBO throw a flag like an NFL ref? Whistle……”Medicaid encroachment on Speaker of the House, $29 billion penalty, repeat the down”.
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]]> By: Keith Hennessey http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-15921 Keith Hennessey Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:20:23 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-15921 Sorry, term of art. Yes, it's the point where the new funding stops. On a graph it looks like a cliff. <div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('15921','Keith Hennessey'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('15921','Keith Hennessey','Sorry, term of art. Yes, it's the point where the new funding stops. On a graph it looks like a cliff. '); return false;">Quote</a></div> Sorry, term of art. Yes, it's the point where the new funding stops. On a graph it looks like a cliff.
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]]> By: uncledip http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-15906 uncledip Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:54:45 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-15906 Er... what the heck is meant by a "funding cliff" Is it the point where payments to docs stop? Is it the point where docs bail out of medicine and buy Subway franchises? I'm trying to imagine myself peering over the edge like Wylie Coyote. <div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('15906','uncledip'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('15906','uncledip','Er... what the heck is meant by a "funding cliff" \nIs it the point where payments to docs stop? Is it the point where docs bail out of medicine and \nbuy Subway franchises? I'm trying to imagine myself peering over the edge like Wylie Coyote. '); return false;">Quote</a></div> Er… what the heck is meant by a "funding cliff"
Is it the point where payments to docs stop? Is it the point where docs bail out of medicine and
buy Subway franchises? I'm trying to imagine myself peering over the edge like Wylie Coyote.
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]]> By: Michaeltk http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-15907 Michaeltk Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:54:40 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-15907 Medical practice consultants recommend to internists that they have no more than 11% Medicare patients in their practice. That is before the 21% cut in reimbursement. Medicare now pays doctors from 10% to 20% of billed charges. Medicaid is accepted at few private physician's offices and usually because the patient is a relative of another patient. As director of a trauma center, I had to deal with Medicaid (Called MediCal in California). We got paid about two years after the service and at about 10% of billed charges. All private doctors (paying their own bills) lose money on Medicaid patients and many lose money on Medicare. <div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('15907','Michaeltk'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('15907','Michaeltk','Medical practice consultants recommend to internists that they have no more than 11% Medicare patients in their practice. That is before the 21% cut in reimbursement. Medicare now pays doctors from 10% to 20% of billed charges. Medicaid is accepted at few private physician's offices and usually because the patient is a relative of another patient. As director of a trauma center, I had to deal with Medicaid (Called MediCal in California). We got paid about two years after the service and at about 10% of billed charges. All private doctors (paying their own bills) lose money on Medicaid patients and many lose money on Medicare. '); return false;">Quote</a></div> Medical practice consultants recommend to internists that they have no more than 11% Medicare patients in their practice. That is before the 21% cut in reimbursement. Medicare now pays doctors from 10% to 20% of billed charges. Medicaid is accepted at few private physician's offices and usually because the patient is a relative of another patient. As director of a trauma center, I had to deal with Medicaid (Called MediCal in California). We got paid about two years after the service and at about 10% of billed charges. All private doctors (paying their own bills) lose money on Medicaid patients and many lose money on Medicare.
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]]> By: cbinflux http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-15914 cbinflux Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:26:47 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-15914 1/3 of doctors will quit, but no worries -- Pg 875 dictates that teaching hospitals replace those quitters with C-D students who just happen to be black or Hispanic. Keep your doctor..?<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('15914','cbinflux'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('15914','cbinflux','1\/3 of doctors will quit, but no worries -- Pg 875 dictates that teaching hospitals replace those quitters with C-D students who just happen to be black or Hispanic.\r\n\r\nKeep your doctor..?'); return false;">Quote</a></div> 1/3 of doctors will quit, but no worries — Pg 875 dictates that teaching hospitals replace those quitters with C-D students who just happen to be black or Hispanic.

Keep your doctor..?

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]]> By: Don’t trust the CBO score « Internet Scofflaw http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-15909 Don’t trust the CBO score « Internet Scofflaw Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:28:41 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-15909 [...] wherein the score assumes big future cuts in Medicare reimbursements that will never happen. Keith Hennessey points out that the reconciliation bill creates a new “doc fix” problem in Medicaid. [...]<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('15909','Don’t trust the CBO score « Internet Scofflaw'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('15909','Don’t trust the CBO score « Internet Scofflaw','[...] wherein the score assumes big future cuts in Medicare reimbursements that will never happen. Keith Hennessey points out that the reconciliation bill creates a new “doc fix” problem in Medicaid. [...]'); return false;">Quote</a></div> [...] wherein the score assumes big future cuts in Medicare reimbursements that will never happen. Keith Hennessey points out that the reconciliation bill creates a new “doc fix” problem in Medicaid. [...]
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]]> By: Diogenes http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/medicaid-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-15905 Diogenes Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:21:46 +0000 http://keithhennessey.com/2010/03/19/another-29-b-gimmick-in-the-reconciliation-bill/#comment-15905 Keith, I wouldn't refer to setting reimbursements for the docs at Medicare rates as a "windfall" no matter what the circumstances. Here in Texas only a small percentage of docs will take more than a few Medicaid patients, and many are limiting their Medicare patients loads as well. This is a special concern for me as I am approaching age 65 and retirement, and expect to move out of an urban enviornment to a new location where I will have to find a doc who will take another Medicare patient. All of this discussion about cuts here and there is easy as long as it is impersonal and abstract. When you need to rely on that system, however, it is anything but. <div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('15905','Diogenes'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('15905','Diogenes','Keith, \n \nI wouldn't refer to setting reimbursements for the docs at Medicare rates as a "windfall" no matter what the circumstances. Here in Texas only a small percentage of docs will take more than a few Medicaid patients, and many are limiting their Medicare patients loads as well. This is a special concern for me as I am approaching age 65 and retirement, and expect to move out of an urban enviornment to a new location where I will have to find a doc who will take another Medicare patient. \n \nAll of this discussion about cuts here and there is easy as long as it is impersonal and abstract. When you need to rely on that system, however, it is anything but. '); return false;">Quote</a></div> Keith,

I wouldn't refer to setting reimbursements for the docs at Medicare rates as a "windfall" no matter what the circumstances. Here in Texas only a small percentage of docs will take more than a few Medicaid patients, and many are limiting their Medicare patients loads as well. This is a special concern for me as I am approaching age 65 and retirement, and expect to move out of an urban enviornment to a new location where I will have to find a doc who will take another Medicare patient.

All of this discussion about cuts here and there is easy as long as it is impersonal and abstract. When you need to rely on that system, however, it is anything but.

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