FIGHT MEDICARE'S RULING ABOUT HOSPITALS!!

According to the news and the PA at the surgeon's office where I *had* an appointment for next week, on February 21st the announcement was made that "Medicare would cover some procedures only at hospitals considered "centers for excellence" by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Bariatric Surgery." Hospitals were given no time to apply for certification from either organization. We ALL need to contact our federal congressmen and senators about this. The more he11 we raise, the more likely it is the rule will be reversed or revised. Here are some things to point out in your communication (preferably by phone): 1. There was no notice given for this ruling. Hospitals should have had time to apply for certification. 2. Obesity is a life-threatening disease and this ruling has dramatically reduced the facilities available to perform bariatric surgery for months to come. 3. Waivers ARE available and you should urge your politicians to push for a waiver for your particular hospital. Here's the list of US Senators. Just find yours and slam them with emails & phone calls: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm Here's the list of Congressmen. Ditto above: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issuesaction/alertlist/?issue=30

Actually, I disagree with you and wouldn't want to have any type of surgery at a place that wasn't considered a facility of excellence. Who would want to have surgery if there is a chance that you won't do well? Maybe they don't have a complete program with before/during/after care that is really the best way to go. I read so many posts with basic questions about the surgery, hospital stay, what to do after surgery and I just wonder why the patient doesn't know what to do? Where are the Dr's and the dieticians and exercise physiologists in those other programs? It seems that many people meet only the basic requirements of medical necessity and will their insurance pay for it! Now, for me, those aren't the best and only criteria that should be considered. I went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, not to be confused with Evanston Northwestern Hospital, and have received the best, most thorough care and am still receiving the best care 3 months after surgery. I have 4 people working on me all the time including a Wellness Insitute physician, dietician, exercise physiologist (not a persoanl trainer) and a psychiatrist to help me deal with all the emotional issues that come with surgery and your changing life and those around you. I wouldn't trade this place for anything because they are SO INTERESTED IN HOW WELL I AM DOING and I will be totally involved with them for a year after surgery. There are so many places doing this type of surgery and it just seems so fly by night to me, get them in and get them operated on and get them out, and on to the next person. Medicare has been fabulous to me and I am thrilled at the care and their service over the years. I am on Medicare due to a disabling back injury. Also, Northwestern Memorial Hospital takes Medicare assignment and has a FABULOUS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM that is way more than generous. They are truly there to serve the public and make everyone healthy. Just my opinion but I wouldn't want to have surgery anywhere that Medicare didn't deem appropriate. ttfn, Pixie

Because of this Medicare ruling my doctor is moving to another center. I was not at a "center for excellence" and i feel that i got great care. According to my doctor the rule is that they want two surgeons that do the surgeries and each surgeon has to do at least 50 a year for medicare to cover.

Hi, everyone. Thanks for your responses. I'd like to clarify a couple of things: First, I was mistaken in thinking that this ruling just popped out of somebody's head. There *was* a comment period on the proposed ruling and so forth; apparently the hospitals knew this might be coming. So if you were in-process for WLS when this ruling came out, I urge you to contact your hospital and your surgeon and tell them that waivers are available. Ask them if they've applied for a waiver. Urge them to do it if they haven't and stay on them until they do. Second, I believe the new rules are *good*, not bad. My objection is only that the ruling didn't give facilities time to get certified, thus leaving so many of us hanging. I received a response from one of you saying that the comment period ended in December of 2005 and that the ruling went into effect in February of 2006. That's not NEARLY enough time for all the WLS facilities to get certified. Who knows how long it takes to get from application to approval? We're talking bureaucracy here, people. Nothing moves quickly. Third, here's concrete proof that this ruling didn't allow enough time to get certified: in the whole USA there are now only 117 facilities certified to perform WLS. Whole areas of the country don't have a certified facility. See which hospitals *are* certified here: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicareApprovedFacilitie/BSF/list.asp#TopOfPage (thanks for the link, those who posted it) One of you pointed out that Medicare recipients should have been notified of the proposed rule; I agree wholeheartedly. Another response pointed out that the hospitals were hoping the rule wouldn't pass, which is why they didn't apply for certification. I disagree. There are just too many hospitals that aren't on the certified list - there can't be that many with their heads in the sand. Someone else suggested that hospitals didn't apply for the certification because it costs them money to get certified. THAT, I believe. I still urge you to contact your lawmakers. I paid to have this issue listed in the Soapbox at congress.org; I'm now asking everyone to PLEASE visit and voice your opinion: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=8541136&content_dir=ua_congressorg Thanks, everyone. Lisa Owens