Dec 17 2010
The Kansas City Star reports on a new Medicare program that will apply competitive bidding to common medical equipment and supplies. Meanwhile, President Obama signed into law yesterday a one-year delay in Medicare payment cuts for physicians.
Kansas City Star: Medicare Changes Will Mean Lower Prices For Some Services, Equipment
Come the New Year, people on Medicare in the Kansas City area will start getting wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers and other medical equipment at new everyday low prices. The price breaks — running about 28% overall — are the result of a new Medicare program that puts the most common medical equipment and supplies up for competitive bid. The 15-county Kansas City area is one of nine metropolitan areas spearheading this new approach to setting prices (Bavley, 12/15).
The Associated Press: Obama Signs Bill To Delay Medicare Doctor Pay Cuts
President Barack Obama has signed into law legislation that delays for one year a cut in Medicare pay to doctors. The 25% reduction in physician payments had been scheduled to kick in Jan. 1, potentially disrupting care for the nation's seniors (12/15).
Modern Healthcare: Obama Signs Doc-Pay Legislation
President Barack Obama has signed the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010 that delays for one year a 25% reduction in Medicare payments to physicians. The cut would have gone into effect Jan. 1, 2011. The cost of delaying the payment cut and extending the current rates for 12 months is estimated at $14.9 billion (Robeznieks, 12/15).
 This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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