Article Abstract:
Medicare officials promised to work with Congress to increase payments for doctors who administer chemotherapy or treat hemophiliacs. The vow came after weeks of lobbying by cancer doctors and other medical providers who expressed strong opposition against Medicare's plan to reduce payment for a list of about 50 drugs, including most cancer and blood-clotting drugs. They contend that the implementation of drug payment cuts will prevent them from garnering profit on these drugs that serves as their way of offsetting paltry reimbursements for their professional services.
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Article Abstract:
The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the government agency that oversees Medicare, has outlined plans to ease some of its complex rules in an effort to dissuade a number of Medicare health maintenance organizations (HMOs) from exiting the program. Some observers, however, see that HCFA's move, which also included an agreement to delay the adoption of a new payment plan, as a strategy that may have come too late since a number of HMOs have already announced plans to pull out from some regions.
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Article Abstract:
United Healthcare Corp's decision to drop the practice of having doctors seek permission before providing treatments has raised criticism from rival insurers and some consumer groups. However, it was also praised by other consumer and doctor groups as well as Pres Clinton. Although United Healthcare's doctors can now provide care without prior approval, their care and use of services will be evaluated twice a year through report cards.
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