Medicare Part B – A Lifesaver

Medicare Part B is the part of Medicare that covers care you receive when you are not a patient in the hospital. The graphic below outlines the basic care covered under Part B. I called Part B a lifesaver because it covers the treatment for some of the most serious diseases . . . like cancer (chemotherapy), kidney failure (dialysis), and transplants (immunosuppressive drugs). While these treatments are often expensive and lengthy, they often save or lengthen our lives. Part B costs are further impacted by the fact that many treatments are provided at a doctor’s office or in a hospital’s outpatient facility.

Part B is partially funded (about 27%) by our monthly premiums, which have increased faster than inflation over the years but increased only $3.90 this year. While those in lower income brackets are protected from some increases, those in higher income brackets will pay much higher premiums. The Part B premium this year for most of us will be $148.50 a month, but some higher income beneficiaries will pay as high as $504.90 a month. The rest of the money for Part B is drawn from the government’s general revenues.

Lately, the Part B costs have increased faster than other parts of our healthcare and have come under pressure by those in Washington as a way to lower government spending on healthcare. Part of the reason for the Part B cost increases is due to the many new discoveries in medicines and treatments for some of these life-threatening diseases. There have been huge steps forward in the treatment of serious diseases; many lives have been lengthened and enriched by these new treatments. It would be a shame if the access to these life-altering treatments were restricted.

There is no doubt that the way the payments are calculated for Part B is convoluted. Payment structures to doctors who administer many of the infused drugs is complicated. There are changes that could be made to make the cost and payments more straight forward. Changes should be made at the process level rather than using a blunt force approach that will only increase the flawed incentives in the process.

Part B is the place for big discoveries that will have huge impacts on our lives. Great discoveries in biologics and other cancer fighting medicines along with breakthroughs in treatments for autoimmune disorders are on the horizon. These are the types of discoveries that deserve our focus and resources. Anything that inhibits this innovation or restricts our access to these treatments is not the direction America’s healthcare system should be headed.

There are changes afoot; this was made very evident by the President’s Executive Order signed last Friday. I’ll work hard to keep you up to date on what’s happening, and hope you’ll also stay informed and be ready to contact those in Washington and tell them how you feel about these changes.

Best, Thair