News in brief - Oct. 12, 2009

Senators call on Medicare to halt radiation therapy cuts

A bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to the Dept. of Health and Human Services protesting proposed cuts for radiation oncology services in the Medicare physician fee schedule.

While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services projects the overall impact of the payment reductions to be 19%, the rates for certain cancer services would be reduced by up to 44%, according to the American Society for Radiation Oncology, which supported the Sept. 25 letter from Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D, Ark.), Richard Burr (R, N.C.) and 30 of their colleagues. The lawmakers said they are concerned the cuts could force community-based cancer centers to close. Lawmakers urged CMS to consider recalibrating payments to support primary care in a way that does not place a disproportionate burden on any one specialty group.

"Cancer patients, who are fighting day in and day out against their disease, already have enough to worry about without having to face additional expense and time to get important treatments," said Patricia Eifel, MD, a radiation oncologist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and ASTRO's chair.

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Medicare Advantage, Part D premiums announced

Medicare private plan beneficiaries can expect to see an average premium of about $39 a month in 2010, a $7 increase from 2009. Medicare prescription drug plan premiums will average $30 next year, a $2 increase. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initially had projected that the average Part D premium in 2010 would be $32.

Nearly all beneficiaries next year will have access to a Medicare Advantage plan, most of which offer prescription drug coverage, according to CMS, which announced the new premium rates Oct. 1. Only 1.5% of all Medicare beneficiaries -- and about 7% of those enrolled in Medicare Advantage -- will need to choose new coverage in 2010 because current plans are not renewing. Most of these are private fee-for-service plans that decided to exit the program, CMS said.

The agency is encouraging beneficiaries who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage and Part D plans to review their current coverage for any changes plans may make before the annual open enrollment period begins Nov. 15.

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Few HIPAA complaints result in change, report shows

Only 20% of medical privacy complaints filed with the Dept. of Health and Human Services resulted in changes to health care organizations' practices since the agency began enforcing the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 2003.

That's according to an October review by Health Information Privacy/Security Alert, an independent newsletter that tracks the industry. HHS received a total of 46,320 privacy complaints as of Aug. 31, according to the publication. Of those, only 9,095 led to administrative sanctions requiring the health care organization to modify its policies, the report said.

The government has yet to impose any civil monetary penalties for privacy violations. In July, HHS took over enforcement of HIPAA security from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

This content was published online only.

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