Medicare Rationing Begins in 2011

House and Senate Democrat leaders, and President Obama, argue that they can “pay for” health insurance “reform” by cutting $500 billion from Medicare spending over the next decade—largely through arbitrary reimbursement cuts,— without reducing the quality of care delivered to beneficiaries.

Yet, in January, 2011, Medicare will implement a new payment system for patients receiving dialysis for end stage kidney disease that will severely ration care to this vulnerable (and largely minority) population based on equally arbitrary payment reductions. These patients will be the unfortunate canary in the Medicare coal mine: “reform” legislation will expose millions of Medicare patients to rationing and reduced quality of care.

Several points to consider that are detailed:
– With the Medicare payment for dialysis below the cost of the treatment, and the pharmaceuticals required for said treatment, who will be left to provide the service when the providers (operating at a loss) go bankrupt?
– If the treatment is what is maintaining one’s life, the lowering of rates constitutes a de-facto rationing, and the resultant mortality of the patient as the result.
– The result is to impose administrative rulings (that enforce “price” limitation) to effectively speed patients on their way to their exit from life….hey….a backdoor way to have what amounts to a “death panel”.

The figures, and the gory details are spelled out in the rest of the piece.  Don’t take the Chief’s word for it, check it out yourself.

Any wonder why most polling indicated that Obamacare is NOT wanted by most Americans…not that the Congs (so far) care about THAT little thing!