• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Health / Medicine / Iowa elected officials try again to change Medicare reimbursement

Iowa elected officials try again to change Medicare reimbursement

July 3, 2003 By admin

Iowa officials are making one last effort through bureaucratic channels before launching a lawsuit challenging Iowa’s lowest-in-the-nation reimbursement rate for seniors who get medical care through Medicare. Attorney General Tom Miller is sending an official letter of appeal to the federal agency that has set Medicare rates for the coming fiscal year. Miller says Iowa hospitals take a six-and-a-half percent loss for treating every Medicare patient. John Forsythe, the C-E-O of Wellmark/Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Iowa, says that means everyone under age 65 in Iowa pays a higher insurance rate to make up the difference. Forsythe says Blue Cross rates could be lowered as much as 10 percent if the state’s Medicare reimbursement rate is boosted. John Shors, a lawyer for Mercy hospital in Des Moines, says it’s time for Iowa to be treated fairly. Shors says it’s hard to move the state forward, economically, when Medicare has a billion dollar rock tied to Iowa’s foot. Lieutenant Governor Sally Pederson says the low Medicare reimbursement rate effects everybody’s medical care, not just those who are above age 65.Pederson says if hospitals and clinics are financially-strapped because most of their patients are older, then they won’t be able to recruit and retain the best doctors and nurses, and they won’t be able to buy the best equipment. Congressmen Steve King and Leonard Boswell have signed the letter the Attorney General has submitted asking for a change in the reimbursement rate. Boswell says many hospitals are discontinuing services because they can no longer take the losses.Miller says if the federal agency says no,there’s still a shot at getting major changes that Iowa seeks approved by Congress. If not, the state will proceed with a lawsuit against the federal government, challenging Iowa’s Medicare reimbursement rate.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Democratic Party, Leonard Boswell, Steve King

Featured Stories

Exhibit features lesser known works of Grant Wood

Testing finds 21 new CWD cases in deer

It may become a crime in Iowa to use fake urine in workplace drug tests

February trending 18 degrees below average temperature

Iowa House Education Committee votes to end tenure at UI, ISU, UNI

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

New look and new format at girls’ state basketball

Youngstown State takes action against assistant football coach

Iowa’s Jack Nunge lost for the season

Key stretch begins for #9 Iowa

Drake’s Roman Penn lost for the season

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC