Home » Archives » February 2005 » We really need to contemplate the concept of "efficiency", here....
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02/09/2005: We really need to contemplate the concept of "efficiency", here....
Bryan at Why Now? pins down one reason Medicare costs so much. His mother, a Medicare patient, needs a device called a nebulizer in order to deliver some needed medication. Bryan fills us in on the details:
The very efficient and helpful people at the local Walgreens pharmacy told me they could sell me the medication with a co-payment through Tricare, but I needed to go to a medical equipment store to buy the nebulizer because it was a device.Why is Medicare, in this instance, looking like a scam to benefit a medical equipment rental company? (We won't get into the recent Medicare drug bill as being corporate welfare for Big Pharma, yet...)
I went to the medical equipment store and found out that Medicare covered the equipment and would provide the medication through the mail at no charge to my Mother. So I went through with it and my Mother received the help she needed at a minimal cost.
Here's the problem: Medicare is leasing the nebulizer. I checked the 'Net and you can buy a nebulizer for under $70, but Medicare is paying $46 a month to lease this piece of equipment.
If they decide that my Mother only needs to use this device for a month, then the system is fine, but if she needs it from now on, Medicare is paying for a new machine every two months, while the patient continues to use the same piece of equipment.
...
If this is going to be long term, I'm going to buy one on the 'Net. I can't see ripping off Medicare for $46 per month.
Len on 02.09.05 @ 07:57 AM CST
