Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group

Yeah! The cuts in medicare are mostly to Medicare Advantage progrm which was a Republican plan and an battenmpt to get private insurance to take over medicare...by subsidizing Private insurance to take over medare part D. I forget the rate but everyone in a medicare part D plans, whether they get coverage through a retirement benifits from where they worked or the took a medigap policy pay part of the benefits of the nmedicare advantage people--so they get more unfairly. These cuts to medicare, are cuts to the medicare advantage program wich was a republican effort to stop privatize medicare.

Like they did with 401 plans to replace pensions. And look how many people got burned by it when the economy tanked.

Those cuts to Medicare are not a bad thing at all!

Thanks, nnyl1 and Sentient, yes the Medicare Advantage plan cost about 20percent more than regular medicare. It was all going to the executives who run insurance companies. No loss to real people at all.

It's about time.

When is it suppose to take effect?

Actually, most of the cuts are to regular medicare. 160 billion from medicare advantage which I am fine with. 240 billion from regular medicare.

Its a mixed bag. Overall I am pleased, as long as this doesnt impact medicare too badly.

Its still a long way away, but farther than it has ever been before. Now the senate has to pass there own bill. Then the senate and the house bill has to be reconciled into one bill. Then the house and senate have to viote on the combined bill. Then the president has to sign the single bill that comes out of congress.

Then they will assign a date for it to become effective...

So its a long way away, but farther than it has ever been before.

I wonder what those $240 from regular medicare were from. Some was the electronic records, and the savings from them...

Its only a half of the potential final bill, but good to keep an eye on.

Thank God for universal health care in Canada.

Some of those costs will come from reducing "unnecessary tests". I dont think tests are unnecessary though. Sometimes what you are testing for is a longshot, but people who are desperate for answers and not finding them deserve to get any test that could help point them in the right direction.

Now its going to be more difficult to get tests without strong evidence that they are required.

Duplicate Tests not done because of electronic medical record sharing between physicians. I'm on Medicare gov insurance, tests are not denied.

I think it is a yearly mamograms, yearly pap smears. I would rather like to get an MRI because of some activity I suspect. I'm not certain how often they can be done...a peson wrote to me she is using the results of the MRI when to change meds. She's on Medicare and she can only get them at 6 month intervals. I don't know what the interval is, but my last one was 9 months ago, so if its yearly I would have to wait 3 more months. If its 6 months I can get one now.