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Happy Holiday

August 25, 2006 • Health Care News • Larry Benz

I bet most of you didn’t know that as health care providers we have a holiday coming up at the end of Sept.  This announcment as reported in WSJ (link available for 7 days for non subscribers) reports that such “holiday” was announced by the Bush administration that will withold payment of services to health care providers on medicare patients from Sept 22-30 (Congress ordered the hold).  Payments will start again after the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.  They refer to this as a “holiday”. Why don’t we call it “health care festivus” and celebrate accordingly?

This announcement didn’t make much in the way of news.  It is part of  demonizing of health care providers that is becoming much more prominent and subject of a future post.

I am quite sure that if the government decided to withold social security payments, mail carriers, congress, food stamps, military pay, or any other sector of the population involving the government that it would be headline news and the politicians wouldn’t “stand for it” but since it represents health care providers….well…who care’s?

What about the physician or physical therapy owner that treats primarily medicare patients?  This is quite damaging to their cash flow.  Would providers ever not pay their employees due to such a government holiday?

One interesting point the article makes that they do this in leiu of a reimbursement reduction.  Somebody needs to explain to them on how getting your payment late without interest is a cost reduction.

Party On!

Larry

Larry Benz

Dr. Larry Benz, DPT, OCS, MBA, MAPP, is the Executive Chairman of Confluent Health. He is nationally recognized for his expertise in private practice physical therapy and occupational medicine. Dr. Benz’s current areas of interest include conducting research and integrating empathy, compassion, and positive psychology interventions within physical therapy. He released a book on September...

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