Two items are in the news from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). First, CMS has issued its fifth annual health care provider satisfaction survey on the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) contractors. Second, CMS issued its annual report on healthcare spending last week.
 
The Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey (MCPSS) is the once a year chance for radiologists to give Medicare feedback on their satisfaction, attitudes, perceptions, and opinions about the provider’s experiences with the FFS program.

However, not everyone receives the survey. Rather, 30,000 providers from various fields of medicine and health care administration are randomly selected to receive the survey and can confidentially respond to the survey online, or through fax, mail, or by telephone. However, it is not mandatory for participants to respond.
  
A summary report will be released in the summer of 2010.  For more information, see www.cms.hhs.gov/MCPSS.

CMS also issued a report on national health spending. The report says that U.S. health spending grew 4.4% in 2008, to $2.3 trillion or $7,681 per person. The good news: It was the slowest growth rate since 1960. The bad news: The overall economy only grew 2.6% in 2008, which means that health care costs are growing faster than both GDP and inflation.

“This report contains some welcome news and yet another warning sign,” said Jonathan Blum, director of CMS’ Center for Medicare Management in the press release. “Health care spending as a percentage of GDP is rising at an unsustainable rate. It is clear that we need health insurance reform now.” 

To read the complete report, visit this CMS website.