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U.S. Medicare program scales back hospice drugs restrictions
Reuters ^ | July 18, 2014 | David Morgan

Posted on 07/19/2014 5:33:03 AM PDT by Innovative

The Obama administration on Friday backed down on restrictions of private insurance coverage for hospice drugs under Medicare, saying the regulations were preventing some terminally ill patients from having access to medicine.

Under Medicare's Part A hospital program, hospices receive daily payments for each patient but are responsible for all drugs related to a patient's terminal illness. Medicare Part D covers only prescriptions and medications for curative conditions that are unrelated to a terminal illness.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: deathpanels; drugs; hospice; medicare; medicaredrugs; medications; obamacare; obamacaredrugs
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To: Innovative

There are only two ways you aren’t going to be adversely effected by the Demonic Party’s MarxistPOSCare - 1) By not getting sick or injured, and 2) by not getting old. Anybody that votes for a Demonic Party representative is either evil, ignorant beyond measure, or mentally ill...


21 posted on 07/19/2014 6:19:57 AM PDT by Common Sense 101 (Hey libs... If your theories fly in the face of reality, it's not reality that's wrong.)
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To: Innovative
The sooner the patients die, the more money is saved, this is the objective of Obamacare.

Correct. It is in direct conflict with the individual patient's objective, which is to extend their life. It is truly astounding that so many brain-dead libtards and the other apathetic masses fail to grasp this reality... they will eventually, but by then it will be too late.

22 posted on 07/19/2014 6:23:58 AM PDT by Common Sense 101 (Hey libs... If your theories fly in the face of reality, it's not reality that's wrong.)
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To: clee1

{ am a hospice patient. I only have Medicare A and B. I have no other illness than Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis for which I get 02, morphine, a muscle relaxer due to the IPF cough and a sleeping pill. I have had no trouble getting my meds at all. If I don’t get the 02 and morphine, I will be dead within the hour.


23 posted on 07/19/2014 6:26:39 AM PDT by Coldwater Creek
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To: Innovative

Very true. Valerie Jarrett will have blood on her hands, which in any case she will any way.


24 posted on 07/19/2014 6:29:05 AM PDT by Coldwater Creek
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To: PLD

I pray for the traitor’s death every day..a painful death.


25 posted on 07/19/2014 6:35:52 AM PDT by itssme
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To: Coldwater Creek
Bless you, Coldwater Creek. You will be in my prayers daily.
26 posted on 07/19/2014 6:38:22 AM PDT by itssme
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To: clee1

Between the drug regulation nightmare and the required pigeonhole diagnosis and duplicate charting requirements, it is a nightmare. another hospice nurse


27 posted on 07/19/2014 6:40:27 AM PDT by az wildkitten (8 years 'til I retire)
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To: Innovative

more evil this morning.


28 posted on 07/19/2014 6:41:38 AM PDT by MarMema (Run Ted Run)
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To: Common Sense 101
The object of hospice is not to extend your life, but to make one as comfortable as possible while letting the disease run its course. My death certificate will say pneumonia/heart attack or what ever due to compliatons of Pulmonary Fibrosis. or vice versa.
29 posted on 07/19/2014 6:46:09 AM PDT by Coldwater Creek
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To: magellan

Ideally, patients get into hospice a few months before they die to actually benefit from the service. The Nazis(CMS) have our administrators and physicians so cowered, they are reluctant to admit anyone who isn’t almost actively dying. This makes it difficult to manage efficiently making hospices go broke (and we are non-profit but if you can’t pay the bills you can’t survive)

Really frustrating professionally, I don’t think there is anything wrong with admitting someone, adjusting their medications, improving their state of health and discharging them which can and does happen with end stage cardiac, pulmonary and kidney conditions. A little morphine which was the drug of choice for these conditions for centuries can make a big difference at the end of the road. Sometimes more than a year of good quality time.


30 posted on 07/19/2014 6:49:18 AM PDT by az wildkitten (8 years 'til I retire)
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To: Coldwater Creek

Prayers for you.


31 posted on 07/19/2014 6:53:12 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: az wildkitten

I was terminal from point of DX. I will choke or smother to death without the morphine. I cannot imagine my Christin based hospice allowing this to happen.


32 posted on 07/19/2014 6:53:41 AM PDT by Coldwater Creek
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To: az wildkitten

I have been on home hospice for 9 months. My DX is Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.


33 posted on 07/19/2014 7:01:28 AM PDT by Coldwater Creek
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To: itssme

AMEN!!!

I PRAY THE SAME PRAYER!!!


34 posted on 07/19/2014 7:10:22 AM PDT by PLD
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To: az wildkitten

Our intermediary doesn’t require pigeonhole dx anymore.... we use the REAL ICD-9 for the 6 moth prognosis.

Hell of alot less ADRs too.


35 posted on 07/19/2014 11:57:23 AM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: az wildkitten

I have 2 patients that are on with us going on 3 YEARS! We got them stabilized and they continue to decline, continue to have < 6 moth prognosis.... but because they are cared for so well, they get some longevity as well as quality of life.


36 posted on 07/19/2014 12:00:42 PM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: clee1

We had someone who lived for 6 years! She was the rarest of exceptions, of course. Then there are always those who die only hours after going on service. There are far too many of them. I think of all the palliative care they missed out on by the delay of decision either by their doctors, their families or the patients themselves.


37 posted on 07/22/2014 9:17:40 AM PDT by ru4liberty
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To: ru4liberty

100% agreed.

I have, literally, gotten in Doctor’s faces and DEMANDED an order to eval.

If the Pt./family want it and they are appropriate, I refuse to let some puffed up toad with an overinflated ego keep someone form appropriate palliation because the MD refuses to accept futility.

Nurses, beyond any other duty, are supposed to ADVOCATE for their patients. I’ll argue with a stump if it’ll benefit my patients!


38 posted on 07/23/2014 10:30:25 AM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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