"Health & Medical News"

Washington — Medicare is facing a long-term financial meltdown, but health policy experts said Congress is not likely in this election year to take the broad actions needed to keep the program sustainable.

Both the physician and hospital portions of the program are in trouble, according to the 2008 Medicare trustees report, released late last month. Part B, of which spending on physician services constitutes about 30%, does not face insolvency because it automatically is funded by general tax revenues and beneficiary premiums.

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Washington — In the closing days of the 2007 session, Congress prevented a Medicare payment cut and kept the State Children’s Health Insurance Program alive, but both moves are only temporary.

By unanimous consent on Dec. 18, 2007, the Senate passed the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007. The House passed the same legislation 411-3 the next day, and a White House official indicated President Bush would sign the measure.

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Honolulu — Frustrated by Medicare pay cuts, representatives to the AMA House of Delegates directed the American Medical Association to call for national legislation to allow physicians to bill patients for costs Medicare doesn’t cover.

At its Interim Meeting last month, the house adopted policy directing the AMA to devote its political and financial resources to initiate a measure at the appropriate time that would allow Medicare balance billing. The policy calls for introducing legislation that would end budget-neutral restrictions inherent in a Medicare physician payment structure that interferes with patient access.

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Two Boston firefighters were under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, respectively, when they died in a recent fire, and the autopsy results have helped renew calls for mandatory random drug testing, the New York Times reported Oct. 6.

Firefighter Paul J. Cahill, 55, had a high level of alcohol in his body when he died in an August fire at a Chinese restaurant, while the autopsy of fellow firefighter Warren J. Payne found traces of cocaine. Boston remains in the minority of big cities that don’t require random drug testing of firefighters, although a 1999 independent report recommended that drug testing be expanded beyond “for-cause” screening.

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