Dragon Tamer 101: Defining Medicare

I truly wish I had a nickel for every time I uttered the word "Medicare."  Whether we like it or not, Medicare drives the healthcare industry.  As goes Medicare, so goes the other payers and so goes healthcare in the new millennium.   From an EMS standpoint, the word association game for Medicare includes terms and phrases like under-funding, largest portion of a community's payer mix and more.  As time moves forward, we will have to work with groups like the American Ambulance Association to ensure our collective EMS voice is heard by CMS.  Otherwise, we could go from bad to worse in the years ahead.  Before you plan on doing battle, you must have a baseline understanding of this dragon we call Medicare. In this Board & Collar episode, we will review and further define, Medicare. Remember, knowledge is power.      Written by:  C. Humphrey Presented by:  G. Harvat