Woerner
07-29-2004, 07:54 AM
An announcement made earlier this month by HHS Sec. Tommy Thompson has sparked a new debate over the cost of medicare. Thompson says the agency is close to declaring obesity as a disease. Translation: Medicare will be paying for treatment of overweight Americans to get skinny.
"Supporters of Medicare expansion might say prescription drugs and obesity treatments are part of the “healing miracle of modern medicine,” and therefore should be covered."
"Medicare’s decision to consider covering obesity treatments “further moves the private matter of weight out of the realm of personal responsibility and into the realm of ‘public health,’” he says."
To read more go to:http://www.metnews.com/articles/2004/affairs072804.htm
"Supporters of Medicare expansion might say prescription drugs and obesity treatments are part of the “healing miracle of modern medicine,” and therefore should be covered."
"Medicare’s decision to consider covering obesity treatments “further moves the private matter of weight out of the realm of personal responsibility and into the realm of ‘public health,’” he says."
To read more go to:http://www.metnews.com/articles/2004/affairs072804.htm