FIGHT MEDICARE'S RULING ABOUT HOSPITALS!!

According to the news and the PA at the surgeon's office where I *had* an appointment for next week, on February 21st the announcement was made that "Medicare would cover some procedures only at hospitals considered "centers for excellence" by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Bariatric Surgery." Hospitals were given no time to apply for certification from either organization. We ALL need to contact our federal congressmen and senators about this. The more he11 we raise, the more likely it is the rule will be reversed or revised. Here are some things to point out in your communication (preferably by phone): 1. There was no notice given for this ruling. Hospitals should have had time to apply for certification. 2. Obesity is a life-threatening disease and this ruling has dramatically reduced the facilities available to perform bariatric surgery for months to come. 3. Waivers ARE available and you should urge your politicians to push for a waiver for your particular hospital. Here's the list of US Senators. Just find yours and slam them with emails & phone calls: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm Here's the list of Congressmen. Ditto above: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issuesaction/alertlist/?issue=30

I totally agree! My mom had a date for May 8th only to be pushed out until September 11th and that is conditional upon certification. This makes her go through the struggle of breathing through the summer heat. She has such difficulty breathing in the heat that it confines her to the house and air conditioner. I get frustrated that she was "qualified" to have the surgery for so long but it took months of appointments and then waiting to get a date. She would have been able to have it had the process been a bit faster but as fate has it her surgery date was just after this new rule. I guess I'm a bit selfish but I hope September 11th is really the date this time around since I've cancelled my honeymoon to be my mom's support. I'm being married on Sept. 9th and have put our trip on hold until January so that I can be with my mom during surgery. It is just so frustrating all around. I've waited 40 years to get married but being there for my mom is number one on my list of "to do".