Feds to Pay 110% of Medicare Rates for Haiti Evacuees

[concerned1]

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/02/02/feds-to-pay-110-of-medicare-rates-for-haiti-evacuees/

February 2, 2010
Feds to Pay 110% of Medicare Rates for Haiti Evacuees

By James A. White
Medical evacuation flights from Haiti to the U.S. started up again after HHS officials said hospitals can receive federal payments equal to 110% of Medicare rates for providing care to Haitians.

A flight last night took 17 patients to Palm Beach, according to the Miami Herald. The medical evacuations had stopped last Wednesday after Gov. Charlie Crist had said that Florida hospitals – the destination of the vast majority of Haiti earthquake victims – were reaching the saturation point.

The feds yesterday activated more provisions of the National Disaster Medical System to help U.S. hospitals provide care to “critically ill survivors” from Haiti. The NDMS is a voluntary system under which U.S. hospitals set aside some of their acute-care beds for NDMS patients and are guaranteed federal reimbursement at 110% of Medicare rates.

[MercutioATC]

1. Might be cool if they would do this for people in THIS country who need it...

I'm all for helping the people of Haiti, but how does one rationalize giving somebody from another country better benefits than we grant the neediest of our own?

[sharesunited]

2. And interesting to know HHS can do this on its own initiative. What else can it do?

[cutlassmama]

5. Exactly. And what about the illegal ailens that get care for free all the time?

Americans in America should be getting the same level of care.

[unabelladonna]

3. IMO, this is an outrage

for the obvious reasons. anyone who is part of this fiasco will suffer in the elections. how is this allowed when citizens of this country are thrown to the curb. i haved no problems with any amount of aid and manpower we send to haiti, but this is madness. check out the comments sectionsin any news outlet.

[elehhhhna]

6. yup -- if a building falls on you here & you're uninsured,

too bad.

[Celebration]

4. If 100% isn't sufficient

Then something is wrong with our Medicare rates.

[elehhhhna]

7. If i could rec your post I would.

[Statistical]

8. Not all doctors accept Medicare.

Maybe 110% increases the number of Dr who will accept that.

Just some numbers as an example
37% of Dr rates <= Medicare
52% of Dr rates <= 110% of Medicare

[Celebration]

9. sure, proves my point, doesn't it? n/t