Sunday, March 31, 2002

There is a story on msnbc.com in the Health section, datelined "Washington, March 30" and headlined "Report: Alzheimer's coverage OK'd." The subhead is "NY Times: White House has authorized Medicare payments." The gist of the story is that Medicare will now pay for treatment, such as "psychotherapy, physical and occupational therapy and other services," to treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. This is great news, as such treatment is often a tremendous financial burden on the loved ones of individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease; indeed, many patients have to do without such treatment, simply because they, or their caregivers, cannot afford it. Apparently, and here is the disturbing part, the government did not publicize their decision. Further, from the article: "When asked why the government did not publicize the new policy, a Medicare official told the Times the change was not announced because 'we saw it mainly as a technical matter for Medicare carriers[emphasis added].'" This is outrageous and unacceptable. If family members responsible for the care of Alzheimer's patients don't know about the policy change, they are unlikely to seek previously unaffordable care for their loved ones which was denied under the old rules.

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