Medicaid Payment Cut Threatens Patient Access

Congressional Quarterly (1/16, Bettelheim, Subscription Publication) reports that starting this month, many physicians “who were likely to expand basic medical care offered to low-income Americans — a goal of the 2010 health care law — could see Medicaid fees drop an average of almost 43 percent.” The pay cut comes after Congress declined to renew a temporary fee bump in the ACA designed to shrink the “historic gap” between what Medicaid and Medicare pay physicians. According to CQ, the drop in reimbursements puts access to care for millions of patients at stake. Physician lobbies “will try to persuade Congress this spring to retroactively restore the bonuses, but their best hope may be pressing states to step forward and pay the difference with their own money.”

Related Links:

Congressional Quarterly (requires login and subscription)

Posted in In The News.