For decades I have advised people to contact their legislative representative when government does something “stupid.
Last Saturday I heard a situation that fits that description so well.
A friend of mine’s wife had a back operation to take out metal bracing. The operation apparently set free the MIRSA virus that had lain dormant for several years.
The treatment just prescribed requires an hour-long drip three times a day.
The recommendation was that the woman be placed in a nursing home for the course of medicine.
Needless to say, the patient would prefer to remain home.
Husband and daughter were to undergo training.
Here’s where the stone cold stupidity comes into play.
Medicare will not cover the cost of the very expensive medicine, if it is delivered at home.
Medicare will pay 100% of the cost of the medicine, plus other costs, if she is placed in a nursing home.
Because of the obvious waste of taxpayers’ money that would result if the woman were forced into a nursing home in order to have the cost of the medicine covered, I suggested the husband write his congressman.
The nursing home lobby must be really powerful for such flagrant waste to be required for Medicare coverage.
Like this issue, you need to be more global.
Good job!
There are much greater problems than those of the McHenry County region.
One question, if something happened to the patient while family was caring for her at home, would the family sue the doctors/hospital/Medicare because they weren’t trained properly or some similar complaint?
Maybe the choice to not cover medicine at home is because a registered nurse or doctor needs to administer the drip. Just a thought…playing devil’s advocate.