Your Comments Needed to Medicare on Proposal to Restrict WLS access

[Guest guest]

Worth noting??

:

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ENDS 12/23/2005

Medicare wants to exclude the Duodenal Switch and other procedures

from Coverage for all Medicare patients. Medicare wants to restrict

surgery to only persons under the age of 65.

If Medicare excludes this surgery- private insurance companies will

follow their lead. Those surgeries will not be avialable to anyone

except for self pays. Your input is needed NOW.

If you have not done so already, please leave a comment with

Medicare. Please let them know (for example) that DS, BPD/DS

should be covered and what it has done for you (or will do). Be sure

to state the procedure you had or will have done. Please comment

now.

If you oppose to excluding WLS coverage to everyone age 65 and older-

please let them know this also.

Please send Comments to:

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/public_comment.asp?nca_id=160 & basketitem=

If you are so inclined; drop a note to your Senator, Representative

or President asking them to change Medicare`s proposed decision,

here is a easy link to them:

http://mygov.governmentguide.com/mygov/home/

Please check this: Medicare's Slippery Slope

http://www.medicareforus.org/

Proposed Decision Memo for Bariatric Surgery for the Treatment of

Morbid Obesity (CAG-00250R)

" The evidence is not adequate to conclude that the following

bariatric surgery procedures are reasonable and necessary and they

are therefore non-covered for all Medicare beneficiaries:

open vertical banded gastroplasty,

laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty,

open sleeve gastrectomy,

laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy,

open adjustable gastric banding,

open biliopancreatic diversion with or without duodenal switch, and

laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion with or without duodenal

switch.

The two non-coverage determinations in the National Coverage

Determination Manual (NCDM) remain unchanged: Gastric Balloon (NCDM

Section 100.11) and Intestinal Bypass (NCDM Section 100.8). . "

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewdraftdecisionmemo.asp?id=160