Medicare Program; Supplemental Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Supplemental Proposed Fiscal Year 2011 Rates

An individual is opposing a proposed Medicare code change that would preclude gastroparesis as a primary diagnosis. The commenter argues that this change would make it difficult for patients to cover the costs of total parenteral nutrition, potentially leading to life-threatening consequences for those with the disorder.

The Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC) opposes adding gastroparesis (code 536.3) to the "unacceptable principal diagnosis" edit in the Medicare Code Editor. They argue that for patients with idiopathic gastroparesis, there is no underlying disorder to sequence first, and removing the code would prevent these patients from having a billable diagnosis.

An individual with idiopathic gastroparesis opposes the proposed Medicare coverage changes, stating that the decision to exclude coverage for this condition will leave them unable to afford essential treatments like IV nutrition and medications.

A parent of a disabled individual with gastroparesis opposes the proposed Medicare decision to stop covering idiopathic gastroparesis. The commenter argues that this decision will jeopardize their daughter's life and calls for the agency to provide medical care for those diagnosed by their doctors.