Rush Limbaugh Gets Schooled By Oncologist

[TruthOut10]

Thursday's big foray in the world of trying to get Beltway pundits to maybe notice that the effects of the sequestration are actually real and kind of a big deal came from The Washington Post's Sarah Kliff, who reported that "Cancer clinics across the country have begun turning away thousands of Medicare patients, blaming the sequester budget cuts." The issue involves the intersection of the sequestration's cuts to Medicare and the expensive pharmaceuticals that oncologists use to treat their patients. Cancer clinics are increasingly finding themselves forced to make a Sophie's choice that one clinic executive describes as being "between seeing [Medicare] patients and staying in business.”

Kliff's article has not been sufficient to convince conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh, however, who took to his microphone today to characterize Kliff's article as "manufactured and made up." But not long after taking issue with Kliff's story, Limbaugh got a call from a fan, who tried to set him straight.

Beginning with Kliff, here's what's at stake:

Oncologists say the reduced funding, which took effect for Medicare on April 1, makes it impossible to administer expensive chemotherapy drugs while staying afloat financially.
Patients at these clinics would need to seek treatment elsewhere, such as at hospitals that might not have the capacity to accommodate them.

“If we treated the patients receiving the most expensive drugs, we’d be out of business in six months to a year,” said Jeff Vacirca, chief executive of North Shore Hematology Oncology Associates in New York. “The drugs we’re going to lose money on we’re not going to administer right now.”

Rush Limbaugh Gets Schooled By Oncologist

 

[Katzndogz]

There is plenty of money for parties, for useless government studies and for white house vacations. As obama's memo said "increase the pain".

 

[PredFan]

Thursday's big foray in the world of trying to get Beltway pundits to maybe notice that the effects of the sequestration are actually real and kind of a big deal came from The Washington Post's Sarah Kliff, who reported that "Cancer clinics across the country have begun turning away thousands of Medicare patients, blaming the sequester budget cuts." The issue involves the intersection of the sequestration's cuts to Medicare and the expensive pharmaceuticals that oncologists use to treat their patients. Cancer clinics are increasingly finding themselves forced to make a Sophie's choice that one clinic executive describes as being "between seeing [Medicare] patients and staying in business.”

Kliff's article has not been sufficient to convince conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh, however, who took to his microphone today to characterize Kliff's article as "manufactured and made up." But not long after taking issue with Kliff's story, Limbaugh got a call from a fan, who tried to set him straight.

Beginning with Kliff, here's what's at stake:

Oncologists say the reduced funding, which took effect for Medicare on April 1, makes it impossible to administer expensive chemotherapy drugs while staying afloat financially.
Patients at these clinics would need to seek treatment elsewhere, such as at hospitals that might not have the capacity to accommodate them.

“If we treated the patients receiving the most expensive drugs, we’d be out of business in six months to a year,” said Jeff Vacirca, chief executive of North Shore Hematology Oncology Associates in New York. “The drugs we’re going to lose money on we’re not going to administer right now.”

Rush Limbaugh Gets Schooled By Oncologist

That is pure bull shit taken completely out of context. I listened to Rush that day and while the caller did correct him on some points, they both agreed that due to Obamacare and sequester cuts, doctors are not taking new patients, modifying their treatments and perscriptions, and some are getting out of the field entirely.

The caller generally agreed with Rush.

 

[peach174]

So what happened to the sequester of 2 % cut in Dr's. pay and administrative costs for Medicare only?
There is no cuts from the sequester for drugs.
I think this has more to do with the new Health care bill and not the sequester.

 

[PredFan]

False, partisan article and idiotic thread killed.

Next?

 

[blastoff]

Thursday's big foray in the world of trying to get Beltway pundits to maybe notice that the effects of the sequestration are actually real and kind of a big deal came from The Washington Post's Sarah Kliff, who reported that "Cancer clinics across the country have begun turning away thousands of Medicare patients, blaming the sequester budget cuts." The issue involves the intersection of the sequestration's cuts to Medicare and the expensive pharmaceuticals that oncologists use to treat their patients. Cancer clinics are increasingly finding themselves forced to make a Sophie's choice that one clinic executive describes as being "between seeing [Medicare] patients and staying in business.”

Kliff's article has not been sufficient to convince conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh, however, who took to his microphone today to characterize Kliff's article as "manufactured and made up." But not long after taking issue with Kliff's story, Limbaugh got a call from a fan, who tried to set him straight.

Beginning with Kliff, here's what's at stake:

Oncologists say the reduced funding, which took effect for Medicare on April 1, makes it impossible to administer expensive chemotherapy drugs while staying afloat financially.
Patients at these clinics would need to seek treatment elsewhere, such as at hospitals that might not have the capacity to accommodate them.

“If we treated the patients receiving the most expensive drugs, we’d be out of business in six months to a year,” said Jeff Vacirca, chief executive of North Shore Hematology Oncology Associates in New York. “The drugs we’re going to lose money on we’re not going to administer right now.”

Rush Limbaugh Gets Schooled By Oncologist

That is pure bull shit taken completely out of context. I listened to Rush that day and while the caller did correct him on some points, they both agreed that due to Obamacare and sequester cuts, doctors are not taking new patients, modifying their treatments and perscriptions, and some are getting out of the field entirely.

The caller generally agreed with Rush.

I heard it live too. Pred nailed the context. And, as with other issues, makes no difference if Rush said it or some other conservative/Republican/libertarian/anyone of prominence who doesn't swallow Barry's b.s. It's too bad Rush didn't say it on Fox though. That way the lefty idiots could have brushed up on trying to get two birds with one stone.

 

[edthecynic]

Thursday's big foray in the world of trying to get Beltway pundits to maybe notice that the effects of the sequestration are actually real and kind of a big deal came from The Washington Post's Sarah Kliff, who reported that "Cancer clinics across the country have begun turning away thousands of Medicare patients, blaming the sequester budget cuts." The issue involves the intersection of the sequestration's cuts to Medicare and the expensive pharmaceuticals that oncologists use to treat their patients. Cancer clinics are increasingly finding themselves forced to make a Sophie's choice that one clinic executive describes as being "between seeing [Medicare] patients and staying in business.”

Kliff's article has not been sufficient to convince conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh, however, who took to his microphone today to characterize Kliff's article as "manufactured and made up." But not long after taking issue with Kliff's story, Limbaugh got a call from a fan, who tried to set him straight.

Beginning with Kliff, here's what's at stake:

Oncologists say the reduced funding, which took effect for Medicare on April 1, makes it impossible to administer expensive chemotherapy drugs while staying afloat financially.
Patients at these clinics would need to seek treatment elsewhere, such as at hospitals that might not have the capacity to accommodate them.

“If we treated the patients receiving the most expensive drugs, we’d be out of business in six months to a year,” said Jeff Vacirca, chief executive of North Shore Hematology Oncology Associates in New York. “The drugs we’re going to lose money on we’re not going to administer right now.”

Rush Limbaugh Gets Schooled By Oncologist

That is pure bull shit taken completely out of context. I listened to Rush that day and while the caller did correct him on some points, they both agreed that due to Obamacare and sequester cuts, doctors are not taking new patients, modifying their treatments and perscriptions, and some are getting out of the field entirely.

The caller generally agreed with Rush.

Actually, the caller disagreed with your MessiagRushie on almost everything, especially when he tried to get the caller to say he would stop taking medicare patients or leave and go into private practice for cash paying patients. To the pathological liar saying no means you agree.

April 04, 2013
BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Here's our oncologist in Dallas. Dale, I'm glad that you called. Welcome, I'm glad you held on. Welcome to the program, sir.

CALLER: Hi, Rush. You set me up with the story about the need to apologize, 'cause you screwed up in the Post story. There is really a cut in Medicare, and here's what it is. Medical oncologists who see and treat patients in their offices are allowed to charge for the pharmaceuticals which they purchase, a thing called ASB, which is average sales price, plus 6%, which let's 'em break even when you figure the overhead of dealing with the patient. That's the Medicare situation.

RUSH: That's right.

CALLER: There's a 2% cut, and it's not 2% of 6%. The reimbursement goes down to 4%, plus ASP. And that means that they're actually absorbing a loss on each Medicare patient they treat.

RUSH: But wait, that's not what the story says.

CALLER: Well, I know, but the story didn't get it right, either, I guess.

RUSH: Well, no, the story says you're turning them away. The story says you're refusing to treat them.

CALLER: Well, I can't tell you much about that one way or another. You gotta take care of the people.

RUSH: Well, the point of the story is that the doctors are turning cancer patients away and not giving them drugs, not treating them, because of the sequester.

CALLER: Some may. As it happens the organization that I'm familiar with is not, as far as I know, doing that. But here's the deal. Medical oncologists in community practice in many parts of the country have had to close their offices because they can't do business giving away more than they're taking in...

RUSH: You and I really don't disagree in what's happening here. The government's laying all of this off on you, and when I say the government, in addition to trying to make it look like the Republicans are responsible for this because it's the Republicans that did the sequester, when they didn't. The sequester really doesn't have any real cuts from a baseline.

CALLER: It does in that one sense, and that's why I picked up the phone and called you because there really is a reduction. I'm in touch with my colleagues who tell me that this is a source of great concern for them because they're already closely hauled under margin.

RUSH: I know. How close are you to just pulling out of the system because of that?

CALLER: Oh, you can't do that.

RUSH: What's to prevent you from setting up your own private practice with cash paying patients, you don't even mess with all this?

CALLER: I don't think they -- you know, Rush, some of these drugs are really expensive, and I don't think a cash paying patient is gonna be able to ante up 18 grand for a single treatment of certain of the newer, really, really sophisticated anti-cancer drugs. It just won't work.