Not Dead Yet | The Resistance

Not Dead Yet | The Resistance

Fentanyl Indications -- Not as Reported by Death by Fentanyl

Death by Fentanyl -- The New Documentary is Filled with Inaccuracies

 I was awake in the middle of the night and watched this Documentary which left me disturbed as I'm guessing the creators intended -- however, I was disturbed because of the impact it might have including increasing discrimination against patients who have pain management issues. I decided to fact check. I called the FDA and checked out the statements in the video. I learned the statements were inaccurate and luckily, the FDA Drug Info person didn't have to rely on my memory because the Fusion people documented the inaccuracies on their web site. One example:

'Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin. It’s so potent that an amount
the size of three grains of sugar is lethal to an adult. First
synthesized in the 1960s by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, fentanyl was
initially used as a general anesthetic during surgery. Its only
acceptable, “on-label” use is for reduction of severe pain in
cancer-sufferers.'

The fact that the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Maura Healy appears in this video lends credibility to the message contained. However, it would have been a good idea if Mrs. Healy or her staff would have fact checked before appearing in the video. Now patients in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be subjected to discrimination for using appropriately prescribed medications such as Fentanyl. It is already challenging to deal with pain management in conditions such as Spinal Cord Injury without having to deal with a Media Campaign to discredit patients who have pain management issues. 





Death by Fentanyl

Skilled Nursing Violated Mass Health Rules by Billing for Co-Pays and Days Patient was in Other Facilities and for Holding the Room in Case Patient Wants to Return

On 27 February we reported about Golden Living Skilled Nursing facility billing for Co-Pays and for 'holding the room' for 20 days while patient was in a hospital then in a rehabilitation center as an inpatient. In addition, South East Massachusetts skilled nursing facility also billed the same patient for Co-Pays for other inpatient dates. It's not like they don't know the patient has Medicare and Medicaid (Mass Health). They obviously had this information and didn't deny having it when I called them. After multiple calls to billing centers that indicate the bills to be correct, and repeated mailings of bills, and calls from these skilled nursing facilities, I contacted Medicare and Mass Health and learned these facilities inappropriately billed the patient. The Skilled Nursing billing person said they expect patients to pay their Co-Pay and it's usual for the Skilled Nursing facility to charge for 'holding the room' when the patient has gone off to a hospital with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Really. Mass Health indicates that Skilled Nursing facilities know they are not permitted to bill when the patient is in the hospital, another facility, or to 'hold the room'. They are also not allowed to bill for 'Co-Pay' except for a nominal charge -- something like $3. I really would like to know what compels people at these Skilled Nursing facilities to behave in such a way. I wonder what else they do that they know they are not supposed to do because this one is so obvious and leaves many records. Fortunately, Mass Health intervened and called the Skilled Nursing facilities to 'correct' them on how to follow the 'contract' they have with Mass Health. We are greatly relieved. It is disturbing to learn that large organizations that are under contract with Federal Medicare and State Medicaid Mass Health are willing and actually do bill inappropriately and then fail to correct their errors when patients and their representatives call to investigate. Having bills (as you might have noticed nearly $5,000 in the case of Golden Living, and others from SE Massachusetts) and then checking with the institution sending the bills and having them give inaccurate information, then threatening to attach the patient's Social Security check, is disturbing. Deeply disturbing. I wonder how many other people fall victim to these unscrupulous tactics by skilled nursing facilities billing people.

Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare Home

Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare Home

Physician Quality Reporting System - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Physician Quality Reporting System - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Introducing Jerry Smith -- All Things Accessible

To put a face to All Things Accessible, I would like to introduce Jerry Smith. Some people provide inspiration and information. Jerry Smith is one of those people. Together, Jerry and I will be posting interesting and hopefully useful information about all things accessible and related articles, topics, and resources. Specifics will evolve. We will begin with mobility and hearing related subjects. We will share experiences, travels, and anecdotes as well. We hope you will find the observations to be helpful. We hope they will provide insight for All Things Accessible.