Senate Passes Legislation to Halt Medicare Physician Payment Cuts Last evening, the Senate passed legislation halt Medicare physician payment cuts that were scheduled to take effect on January 1. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law. Highlights of the physician payment provisions include: A delay in resuming the 2% Medicare sequester for three months (January 1- March 31, 2022), followed by a reduction to 1% for three months (April 1-June 30, 2022). A one-year increase in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule of 3% (0.75% less than the conversion factor boost provided for 2021). A one-year delay in the cuts ... December 10, 2021 Advocacy, Medicare Legislation, Medicare, Senate 0 0 Comment Read More »
Senate Must Act Now on Medicare Payment Cuts It’s coming down to the wire. As Congress continues to fight over a number of year-end priorities, time is running out to address the looming Medicare payment cuts that, if not reversed, would have devastating consequences for Medicare patients and our health care system. Tell your Senators to act NOW to protect America’s Medicare patients. On January 1, 2022 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will drastically reduce payments for certain health care providers. If Congress does not act to stop these cuts before the end of the year, it ... December 8, 2021 Advocacy, legislation, Medicare Congress, Cuts, Medicare, Senate 0 0 Comment Read More »
The Work of Family Caregiving: Invisible, Costly, and Taxing Laura’s 78-year-old mother fell off a health cliff, spiraling downward in a decline that’s not uncommon among older adults. “She went from normal cognition to thinking it was her wedding day and that I was her mother,” Laura told Vox journalist Anne Helen Petersen. “She didn’t know how to walk and didn’t remember what had happened to her.” Laura, whose last name and location were withheld to protect her privacy, spent the next few years caring for her parents. Like many other Americans who become full-time caretakers, she had limited options. Medicare doesn’t cover ... December 6, 2021 General, Healthcare, Medi-Cal, Patient Care California, Caregiving, Essential Coverage, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
Special Children's Vaccination Center At The Fairgrounds As the vaccine rollout continues for children ages 5-11, the children’s mass vaccination center in the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Expo Hall has transformed into a kid-friendly environment to ease the “needle nerves.” Through donations by the Valley Medical Center, the space has become a jungle with music and games to keep kids occupied before and after their shots. To schedule your child’s appointment please visit www.vax.sccgov.org. The Santa Clara County continues to encourage its residents to get vaccinated, including the booster shot. Booster shots are now available to everyone ... November 22, 2021 General, Patient Care, Public Health Vaccinations, Vaccine 0 0 Comment Read More »
2021 Edition -- Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity in California CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION -- All Californians should have access to the high-quality health care they need to lead long and healthy lives. Achieving this requires reducing disparities in health care and the social determinants of health that affect historically excluded or marginalized groups.1 Disparities occur across many demographic categories, including race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, place of residence, gender, disability status, language, and sexual orientation. As one ... November 18, 2021 General, Patient Care, Public Health Health Disparities, Social Determinants, Socioeconomic Status 0 0 Comment Read More »
