News in brief - Oct. 3, 2005

Medicare premiums to rise - AMA supports bill to protect hurricane volunteers - Ohio court affirms abortion law

Medicare premiums to rise

Beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part B will pay $88.50 per month in premiums next year, a jump of more than 13% from the $78.20 that seniors now pay. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said rapid increases in the volume and intensity of physician services are responsible for the hikes in premiums. Utilization of such services has grown by more than 6% annually in several of the past few years, a remarkable departure from the 1% average yearly increase during the 1990s.

Seniors will face even higher Part B premiums if Congress increases Medicare reimbursements to physicians, CMS said. The 2006 hike would have been significantly higher if doctors weren't facing a 4.4% cut in their payments starting in January.

AMA supports bill to protect hurricane volunteers

The House of Representatives in September passed the Katrina Volunteer Protection Act of 2005, legislation to assure that volunteers, including physicians, could focus on providing aid to hurricane victims instead of on the threat of lawsuits.

"Since Hurricane Katrina, the AMA has been sharing information with physicians nationwide on how to volunteer for the relief efforts," said AMA President J. Edward Hill, MD, who is from Mississippi. "Physicians are eager to volunteer -- they want to help the hurricane victims with their immediate and long-term medical needs. Passage of a Good Samaritan bill is an important step toward alleviating some of the uncertainty faced by physicians who want to volunteer."

At press time, the bill had not passed the Senate.

Ohio court affirms abortion law

Ohio can start enforcing a 1998 law that requires girls younger than 18 to get parental consent before having an abortion, the U.S. District Court in Cincinnati recently ruled.

The law also affects Ohio adults and their physicians. Any woman seeking to end a pregnancy must meet with a doctor at least one full day before the procedure is performed to discuss possible clinical risks and alternatives.

Enforcement of the statute had been on hold since before the law took effect based on a challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued on behalf of Cincinnati's Women Services, an abortion provider. U.S. District Court Judge Sandra Beckwith rejected the ACLU's argument in her opinion.

"Plaintiffs' evidence does not demonstrate that [the statute] imposes undue burdens on the abortion right even when viewed in a highly deferential manner," she wrote.

At press time, the ACLU had not decided whether it would appeal the ruling.