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Cardiology Medicare Reduces Threaten to Put Cardiac Care Out of Reach for Rural Americans
Medicare Reduces Threaten to Put Cardiac Care Out of Reach for Rural Americans
Tuesday, 13 October 2009 01:05 | 
| Specialties - Cardiology |
Medicare regulatory changes expected to be finalized in November but overshadowed by the partisan bluster of the ongoing health care debate pose an imminent threat to 80 million patients in America suffering from heart disease, especially for the nearly one in four Americans over the age of 65 living in rural areas.
Many cardiologists who operate in rural areas believe the proposal will force them to close their outreach offices completely since many of these operations run at a fiscal loss but offer an important service to remote communities.
At issue is the amount Medicare, a federal program that helps people 65 or older pay health care costs, reimburses cardiologists for lifesaving diagnostic testing. Beginning in January 2010, reimbursement rates could be slashed in some cases by an additional 40 percent for imaging and other vital diagnostic tools cardiologists use daily to save lives.
This means many cardiologists, especially those in rural areas, will have to stop using these tools and instead send their patients to get these tests at hospitals. Many rural patients will face long distance travel to hospitals, out-of-pocket costs that are as much as five times higher than in-office co-pays and wait times for tests and test results that will take days, not hours as currently is the case when obtained in the cardiologist's office.
Member cardiologists of Guarding Hearts Alliance will converge in Washington, D.C., October 13-14 to plead with Congress to do the right thing for patients and not restrict access to cardiac care by interceding on implementing the Medicare regulations.
About the Guarding Hearts Alliance
The Guarding Hearts Alliance is a partnership representing more than 23,000 cardiologists across the country, all of whom are strongly in favor of Medicare regulations and health care reform initiatives that put patients first in preserving access to quality cardiac care.
Source: Guarding Hearts Alliance
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