Statement on the announcement made by the Department of Health and Human Services on changes to Medicare Part B

Washington, DC (October 25, 2018) — The Autoimmune Association has made the following statement on the announcement made by the Department of Health and Human Services on changes to Medicare Part B:

“The Medicare Part B program is crucial for maintaining the health and wellbeing of older Americans, especially those living with autoimmune diseases and other chronic conditions. The Administration’s proposed changes to this vital program would place middlemen between physicians and their patients—potentially limiting the availability of certain treatment options and preventing proper access to care for some of the most vulnerable patients. Moreover, the erosion of the patient-doctor relationship caused by these changes could lead to larger patient safety issues, which often increases health care costs overtime. Therefore, it is imperative that we continue to support beneficiaries by protecting physicians’ ability to treat their patients in the most appropriate, effective manner and this proposal would only weaken those efforts. ”