7/27/2019 Medicare Portability Overseas, A One-Pager for NaFFAA,
July 2013
1/1
Br ing Medicare Home!Submitted by Eric Lachica, Organizer
Dear NaFFAA Leaders:
We, Filipino Americans, medical professionals,
retirees and community advocates, thank you for
supporting our campaign to convince the U.S.
President and Congress to allow Medicare to paytop Philippine
hospitals for our seniors health care
when they visit or reside there.
We earned it
We are retiring at the rate of 100 PER DAY. We
are part of the daily "tsunami" of 10,000 baby
boomers. Under U.S. law, we can take our Social
Security pensions anywhere in the world but not
Medicare.
With decades of work, we have paid into
Medicare. We deserve Medicare benefits at
accredited PH hospitals and with out-patientservices there.
Portability is part of the solution
According to their Trustees, Medicare may go
bankrupt in 2024.
Medicare can save at least 50 percent in costs
if they allow beneficiaries to be treated in the PH.
If 200,000 retirees choose to reside in the PH,
the estimated annual Medicare cost savings could
be $1,000,000,000 (1 Billion) or more.
This savings could help meet our investments injob creation,
education, infrastructure and small
businesses or reduce the explosive budget deficit.
Can this be done?
Precedents: US citizen residents ofGuam
because of proximity are allowed to obtain medical
necessary treatment in Philippine hospitals that
meet Joint Commission International (JCI)
standards. They first pay out-of-pocket their
hospitalization and ER expenses. They later file
claims to be reimbursed by Medicare.
Moreover, TRICARE and the VA reimburse
thousands of U.S. military retirees who live in the
Philippines.
How about preventing fraud?
We are aiming for the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) to allow Medicare
Advantage (Part C) insurance companies to pay
directly the top Philippine hospitals and their
doctors for treating American retirees.
These JCI accredited hospitals would
demonstrate accountability, high quality of care,
standardization of professional fees and use of
electronic health records (EHR) to meet strict CMS
rules. Fraud would be reduced to almost zero.
The CMS study of the results would validate the
dramatic savings and quality care in a trial period.
San Francisco veterans, seniors & families 6/13
Update: Overcoming ObstaclesYes, there are challenges in
achieving full
Medicare coverage being extended to the PH.However, there are
four promising
developments to address the pressures facing theMedicare system
(that may go bankrupt in 2024,say their Trustees).
1. Favorable media coverage on theMedicare portability proposal.
The Center forMedicare Portability.orgis led by an experiencedand
influential group of legislative experts andhealthcare industry
lobbyists.
2. The US military TRICARE health system isup and running with
the Philippine Demonstrationproject (started April). It is serving
more than10,000 beneficiaries. International SOS AssistanceInc. is
the program contractor. It is administeringfull coverage high
quality care to US military
retirees and family members through a network ofapproved
providers. Wow! They will not have to fileclaims anymore.
Reviewwww.tricare-overseas.com. See theestablished rates and
stringent accountabilityrequirements. What can be done for US
militaryretirees in the PH should be good for our
Medicarebeneficiaries.
3. Medicare Advantage Part C insurancecompanies like United
Healthcare have temporary(up to 6 months) emergency
internationalcoverage. They are endorsed by the AARP. Seetheir
website (UHC.com) and benefit handbook.
At the suggestion of a key congressional staff,we aim to expand
this temporary provision so thatlong term coverage would be
possible to benefitcurrent and future retirees. Thus costs can
bereduced (50%) for all. Joint CommissionInternational accredited
Philippine hospitals withtheir approved physicians would directly
benefitand more create jobs for unemployed PH nurses
and support staff there.Just imagine what they would mean for
future
savings for Medicare Advantage companies thatdeliver quality and
accountability for US retirees.The United Physician
International(www.upihealth. info) is a model for
independentphysician groups and select insurance companies.
4. Guam, a US territory, is now sendingthousands of their
Medicare patients, and alsotheir Medicaid beneficiaries (30K) to
JCI accreditedhospitals in the PH, according to their
Governor'soffice.
With a positive attitude, we can solve problemsin these
challenging times of the Budget Control
Act. We can help in the implementation of theAffordable Care
Act. (July 25, 2013)
In the middle of dif f iculty l ies opp ortunity . . .
Imaginat ion is everything . It is the preview of
l i fe's comin g attract ions.Albert Einstein
US Medicare PH, Inc.
www.usmedicareph.org
1825 Great Falls St. McLean VA
PH: 202-246-1998
E-mail:[email protected]
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