Health providers: Debt deal puts seniors at risk

[OhioChick]

August 1, 2011: 4:36 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Hospital and doctor groups warned Monday that the debt ceiling deal could damage seniors' access to health care if it triggers pay cuts to Medicare providers.

The American Hospital Association, which represents about 5,000 hospitals, health care systems and other providers, said patients' access to care "could be curtailed by further cuts to Medicare funding for hospital care."

On Monday, Congress will vote on the last-minute debt ceiling deal that would keep the United States out of default and reduce deficits by at least $2.1 trillion over a decade.

Medicare, the government-administered health insurance program for seniors, will face cuts. However, the framework of the debt ceiling deal would restrict the reductions to no more than 2% of the program's cost.

More: http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/01/news/economy/debt_ceiling_medicare/

[MineralMan]

1. Go to your local hospital and walk the halls where the patient

rooms are. Peek in the open doors. Who do you see? Most will be Medicare patients. Without them, the hospitals could not stay open. Medicare pays the overhead for most hospitals. The hospitals could not survive without them. This is a hollow threat.

[amborin]

3. i don't think that's accurate

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_13/sr13_139.pdf

[Zen Democrat]

2. The hospitals are the bad guys here. Especially the ones owned by the Frist family.

They just put old people through the wringer and order every test in the book, regardless if it relates to their symptoms. They are blood-sucking the Medicare system and I am all for adjusting their ability to continue this practice. THEY are backrupting the system. Not the doctors, not the patients, but that damned for-profit hospitals.

[RedCloud]

4. "Hands on your Medicare!" Thank you tea baggers, Thank you.