[acb-diabetics] Medicare to quit paying for endo consults

[Paul&Nancy Matulis]

I would say this is why you need Medicare supplemental insurance to cover things like this?Medicare doesn't cover everything. Nancy Matulis 

--- On Thu, 12/24/09, Patricia LaFrance-Wolf <plawolf at earthlink.net> wrote:


From: Patricia LaFrance-Wolf <plawolf at earthlink.net>
Subject: [acb-diabetics] Medicare to quit paying for endo consults
To: "blind diabetics of the Blind" <blind-diabetics at yahoogroups.com>, "Acb-Diabetics at Acb. Org" <acb-diabetics at acb.org>, "Joy Steigel" <jstigile at sbcglobal.net>, "Julie Cantrell" <JCantrell at juniorblind.org>
Date: Thursday, December 24, 2009, 2:08 PM








Eliminating Endocrinologist Consultations 
Dec 15, 2009 
 
This press release is an announcement submitted by AACE, and was not written by Diabetes Health.
 
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 7 -- A survey just conducted by the American Association of Clinical 
Endocrinologists
 (AACE) indicates that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) decision to eliminate consultation codes will force four out of five endocrinologists
to reduce the number of Medicare patients seen in their practices.
 
The CMS decision, which will go into effect in January 2010, will no longer allow endocrinologists and other specialists to bill for consultations provided
for patients referred to them by primary care physicians. Written reports will no longer have to be provided to referring physicians. Endocrinologists
are specialists who assist in the management of patients with complex cases of diabetes, thyroid disorders and other endocrine-related conditions.
 
"The new CMS Rule threatens to marginalize the critical role clinical endocrinologists play as consultants--at a time when our nation is facing a diabetes
epidemic and we are striving to coordinate complex medical care for an increasing number of our patients," AACE President and Chief of 
Endocrinology
 at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Dr. Jeffrey R. Garber said. "This will undermine Congress' effort to improve the quality of care older Americans
receive and their access to it."
 
In the United States, the conditions in which endocrinologists specialize, including diabetes, thyroid disease, and osteoporosis, have reached epidemic
proportions. More than 20 million Americans suffer from 
type 2 diabetes
 and approximately 50 million have a condition that precedes it called pre-diabetes. More than 10 million Americans are known to have thyroid disorders,
while approximately 40 million Americans have osteoporosis and low bone mass.
 
As AACE currently seeks to delay the new 
policy
, Dr. Garber is encouraging all specialists and their patients to write letters to members of Congress and sign the online petition to reverse the elimination
of these codes at 
www.keepthecodes.com.
 
About the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)
 
AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 6,000 members in the United States and 91 other countries. Founded in 1991, AACE is dedicated
to the optimal care of patients with endocrine problems. AACE initiatives inform the public about endocrine disorders. AACE also conducts continuing education
programs for clinical endocrinologists, physicians whose advanced, specialized training enables them to be experts in the care of endocrine disease, such
as diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis, 
cholesterol
 disorders, hypertension and obesity. For more information about AACE, visit our Web site at www.aace.com, become a fan on Facebook at 
www.facebook.com/theaace
 or follow us on Twitter at 
www.twitter.com/theaace.
 
* * *
 
SOURCE:
 
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 
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