Over a dozen House Democrats from the Quality Care Coalition announced Thursday that they will be pursuing a solution to what has been described as regional inequality in Medicare compensation.
“We are re-inventing Medicare,” say Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wa.). “We are changing the way we reimburse doctors and hospitals to give them an incentive to provide quality care and not just quantity care.” (0:26)
By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service
Over a dozen House Democrats from the Quality Care Coalition announced Thursday that they will be pursuing a solution to what has been described as regional inequality in Medicare compensation.
“McAllen, Texas … has a reimbursement rate of about $15,000 per patient per year,” said Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wa.). “In Tacoma, Washington it’s $7,100 per Medicare patient.
“This is wrong. It was done on a political basis and it was sustained for forty years,” Dicks added.
To combat this, Congress will commission a 16 month study with the Institute of Medicine to find a way to reimburse medical professionals based on the outcome of care rather than the volume of the treatment.
The provision mandating the study will be included in the final House health care reform bill. According to the QCC, the inclusions will be budget neutral.
