| Here in Asheville North Carolina, health insurance | | | | - Reducing hospital readmission rates and |
| reform is a huge issue as our local population | | | | improving post-hospital care. The idea here is that |
| consists largely of retirees, many of whom are | | | | a combination of incentive payments and penalties |
| becoming increasingly concerned about the cost | | | | would lead to better care and fewer readmissions, |
| sustainability of their Medicare and their North | | | | which would save approximately $25 billion over |
| Carolina health plans. As health care costs continue | | | | 10 years. |
| to rise, reform is something the Obama | | | | - Expanding the Hospital Quality Improvement |
| Administration earnestly hopes to include in the | | | | Program to improve quality of care for |
| 2010 Fiscal Budget. President Obama has identified | | | | beneficiaries. This would be done by tying a |
| savings which could constitute a reserve fund for | | | | portion of Medicare payments for acute in-patient |
| the proposed health care reform plan. | | | | hospital services to hospital performance on |
| Approximately half of the funding would come | | | | certain measures of quality. As a result of this |
| from proposals to generate revenue, while the | | | | effort, Medicare would save around $12 billion |
| rest would come from Medicare and Medicaid | | | | over 10 years. |
| savings. | | | | - Cutting waste, abuse and fraud. When it comes |
| Based on White House projections, the Medicare | | | | to care, patients need quality, not quantity. |
| savings proposals would reduce beneficiary | | | | Unnecessary treatments are not only expensive, |
| premiums for physician and outpatient services by | | | | but can also pose risks to patient health. To |
| about $33 billion over the next decade. As a result | | | | prevent physicians from ordering unnecessary |
| of these proposals, beneficiaries would also see an | | | | treatment, the Administration proposes increasing |
| improvement in the quality of their Medicare | | | | scrutiny (through a pre-payment review process) |
| services. The reserve fund includes a host of | | | | in high-risk areas or for those physicians who |
| Medicare/Medicaid savings proposals, some of | | | | order an excessive amount of high-risk services. |
| which include: | | | | For residents of North Carolina, health insurance, |
| - Improving the accuracy of Medicare and | | | | Medicare and health care reform are no doubt |
| Medicaid payments. The Centers for Medicare and | | | | important topics. As citizens directly affected by |
| Medicaid Services (CMS) would have to | | | | these potential changes in policy, it's important |
| strengthen their integrity efforts in order to | | | | that you stay abreast of the facts, beware of |
| address flaws that have led to billions in | | | | misinformation surrounding health care reform, |
| overpayments and fraud each year. | | | | and show your support for legislation that speaks |
| - Reducing Medicare overpayments to private | | | | to your needs (which are probably not unlike |
| insurers would save taxpayers roughly $177 billion | | | | those of many other Americans). If you are |
| over 10 years, as well as reduce Part B | | | | satisfied with your Asheville North Carolina health |
| premiums. This would be accomplished through | | | | plans, rest assured in knowing that under Obama's |
| the establishment of a competitive system in | | | | plan, you would be able to keep your private |
| which payments are based on an average of | | | | insurance and continue seeing the doctors you |
| plans' bids submitted to Medicare. | | | | trust. |