Rally Against the Rep
Bearing signs with messages like “No Oxygen Cuts” and “Support America's Seniors,” some 50 protestors marched outside the Bakersfield, Calif., office of Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., in late January. As the author of language in the Deficit Reduction Act that caps oxygen reimbursement at 36 months and transfers equipment ownership to the beneficiary (see story, page 10), Thomas — also a leading proponent of DME competitive bidding — drew the ire of Last Chance for Patient Choice, a non-profit advocacy organization backed by The VGM Group. The rally garnered national media attention, including coverage by the NBC and ABC affiliates in Bakersfield, and was combined with TV ads (which ran 384 times during a 10-day period) and newspaper inserts. The group said more demonstrations — in the districts of congressmen throughout the country who support competitive bidding — are on the way.
91%of U.S. employee benefit specialists surveyed said
controlling health care costs was among their top five
priorities.
Source: Deloitte Consulting LLP, Top Five Total Rewards
Priorities for 2006
“Public health is a fundamental responsibility of
government, and we are going to do everything we can to help New
Yorkers continue living longer lives.”
— New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaking in his
2006 State of the City Address. Bloomberg called for $100 million
to create electronic health records in community clinics in the
poorest neighborhoods of The Big Apple. In December, despite the
protests of privacy advocates, the city said it would begin
tracking personal medical data in an effort to curb dramatic
increases in diabetes cases. An EHR system could automate
collection of that information to identify patients who need help
in controlling their disease.
24,000 The number of senior patients per every one
geriatrician by 2030 if current trends continue.
Source: Jaffe Communications
32% of HMEs plan to increase sales staff in 2006.
Source: HomeCare's 2006 Forecast Survey
71 The age at which 60% of Americans think “old”
begins.
Source: MetLife Mature Market Institute/Zogby International
poll
6 The number of times children covered by Medicaid are more
likely to be treated for severe obesity than are children with
private insurance.
Source: Thomson Medstat
