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Sunday March 28, 2010 City Editor: Joe Feeney jfeeney@hpe.com (336) 888-3537 Night City Editor: Chris McGaughey cmcgaughey@hpe.com (336) 888-3540
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Dr. Zan Tyson examines patient Annie Holleman in the exam room at the Carolina Regional Heart Center.
Matters of the Local cardiologist says cuts could hurt practice, patients BY PAM HAYNES ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – While much has been made of the recent health care reform battle, there’s a smaller piece of legislation outside of the bill that Dr. Zan Tyson expects to have a big impact on Tyson his industry. Tyson, a cardiologist at Carolina Regional Heart Center on Westwood Avenue, is a member of the American College of Cardiology, which recently ended a legal battle with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in U.S. District Court in Florida. The ACC filed a lawsuit against Sebelius late last year after she “unlawfully adopted the payment rates for cardiology services in the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule in a manner that threatens patient access to care and precipitously increases Medicare costs,” according to a statement from the ACC. The lawsuit and several other actions the ACC took against Sebelius regarding Medicare reimbursement rates ultimately were dropped. Tyson said the conflict began when Sebelius adopted lower medical reimbursement rates for 2010 based on the findings of a Physician Practice
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Information Survey, or PPIS. The ACC stated the survey didn’t give health officials an accurate picture of the reimbursement needs of cardiologists across the country. “For cardiology, we have been especially targeted (by the cuts),” he said. “We account for about 40 percent of Medicare expenditures
‘...this is not about our income or our salaries. It’s about us being able to maintain the level of care and services we provide for Medicare patients...’ Dr. Zan Tyson Carolina Regional Heart Center because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.” The rate cuts will show up in different areas for cardiologists, Tyson said. For example, reimbursement funds for diagnostic tests have been cut by 36 percent. Reimbursement for echo cardiograms also has been cut by 10 percent, he said. The Carolina Regional
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The Carolina Regional Heart Center in High Point sees 32,000 patients a year.
Heart Center, part of High Point Regional Health System, sees 32,000 patients a year and has patients from Davidson, Randolph and Guilford County. Because Medicare patients only are required to pay a certain amount of their health care costs, additional costs not covered by Medicare will fall on individual practices, Tyson said. Since those cuts took place, he’s already seeing an effect in the practice. He said prolonged effects could change the way cardiologists utilize technology and some procedures that have decreased the likelihood of dying from a heart attack. “The issue people need to be aware of is that this is not about our income or our salaries,” he said. “It’s about us being able to maintain the level of care and services we provide for Medicare patients because we
won’t be able to afford the bills.” In 1965, 30 percent of people who suffered from a heart attack died. Today, 5 percent of people who suffer from heart attacks die, according to the ACC. “That happened because of the growth of technology, its application and drug development,” he said. “If we can’t pay for those things anymore, they will fall to the wayside.” Beyond the ACC’s legal actions and reaching out to local politicians, Tyson said the only thing cardiologists can do is hope
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for better reimbursement rates in the future. “We had Senator Kay Hagan in our office last August,” Tyson said. “We explained all of these things to her. We used all of our political contacts. There’s really nothing else we can do. Let’s just hope that one day, if you go to the hospital having a heart attack, there will still be a specialist there to see you.” The HHS Department did not return requests for a comment on the situation. phaynes@hpe.com | 888-3617
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense – the “movie heart attack,” where no one doubts what’s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening: Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain. Learn the signs, but remember this: Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out (tell a doctor about your symptoms). Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives – maybe your own. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 911 or your emergency response number. Calling 911 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. – Source: The American Heart Association
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