Gov't cuts might force NM Cancer Center to stop treating some Medicare patients [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Albuquerque Business First

Apr 4, 2013, 1:50pm MDT Updated: Apr 4, 2013, 2:14pm MDT
Gov't cuts might force NM Cancer Center to stop treating some Medicare patients

Dennis DomrzalskiReporter- Albuquerque Business FirstEmail | LinkedIn | Reporter RSS Feed
The Albuquerque-based New Mexico Cancer Center might have to stop treating up to 300 Medicare patients because of cuts to Medicare brought on by the federal sequestration budget cuts, the Cancer Center’s CEO said Thursday.

The cuts are in the form of lower reimbursements that took effect April 1 for expensive cancer drugs. Those 300 patients don’t have Medicare supplemental insurance coverage to help pay for the treatment, Cancer Center CEO Dr. Barbara McAneny said.

The Cancer Center is working with Lovelace Health System, which owns six hospitals in New Mexico, to get those patients treated at hospitals, McAneny added.

“We lose money whenever we treat Medicare patients, so we have always been losing money, and now we will lose even more,” McAneny said.


Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2013/04/04/nm-cancer-center-might-stop-some-service.html