Kristin Searcey

Document ID: CMS-2012-0142-0367
Document Type: Public Submission
Agency: Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services
Received Date: December 17 2012, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Date Posted: December 28 2012, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Start Date: November 26 2012, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Due Date: December 26 2012, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
Tracking Number: 1jw-82l4-20a7
View Document:  View as format xml

View Comment

Comment I am a patient with Graves' Disease. This condition affects me everday, in everything I do. I am one of the millions of Americans who suffer from one or more autoimmune disease or rare condition. I am writing to express my concern about the proposed Essential Health Benefits (EHB) rule which will soon define the standard of care for millions of Americans including patients like me. I believe that the proposed rule does not adequately address the complexities which confront people who live with diseases like mine. Our conditions are often extremely difficult to diagnose, require extensive testing, and necessitate ready access to providers who have special expertise. Moreover, many of us must rely upon a variety of medicines to combat our illness or ameliorate its symptoms. Consequently, access to specialist, specialized care, and specific medicines can be a matter of life and death. The proposed rule does not provide us with adequate protection. We ask you to recognize the critical need we have for access to treatment by specialists by explicitly stating that in the rule. We ask you to recognize the fact that our health – even our lives –depend upon being able to access to specific medicines because of the esoteric nature of our illnesses and the potential for negative drug interaction. We ask you to provide us with more precise definitions of medical necessity and rights of appeal. We respectfully point out that appropriate treatment for us generates huge saving both in terms of human suffering and by preventing the need for costly critical care which inevitably results from inadequate access to needed services and medicines.

Related Comments

    View All
Total: 3,031
Ann Dennison
Public Submission    Posted: 12/20/2012     ID: CMS-2012-0142-0003

Dec 26,2012 11:59 PM ET
Georgia Foltz
Public Submission    Posted: 12/20/2012     ID: CMS-2012-0142-0004

Dec 26,2012 11:59 PM ET
Terri Bukacheski
Public Submission    Posted: 12/20/2012     ID: CMS-2012-0142-0005

Dec 26,2012 11:59 PM ET
MO
Public Submission    Posted: 12/20/2012     ID: CMS-2012-0142-0007

Dec 26,2012 11:59 PM ET
CO
Public Submission    Posted: 12/20/2012     ID: CMS-2012-0142-0008

Dec 26,2012 11:59 PM ET