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House Balking At Higher Fla. Medicaid Reimbursements
April 28, 2011
The Senate’s top health-budget writer fired back Wednesday night at House opposition to a plan that would funnel more money to physicians who treat Medicaid patients. Senate budget negotiators released a revised proposal to increase Medicaid rates by $243.7 million for primary-care physicians.
That was lower than a $338 million Senate proposal earlier in the day.
But House negotiators balked at increasing the payment rates, linking the issue to the House’s refusal to carry out last year’s federal health-care overhaul. That federal law calls for similar physician-rate increases in 2013 and 2014.
Negron, however, said many doctors do not want to treat Medicaid patients because of low rates. He said the Senate has long wanted increases — regardless of the federal law.
“We’ve been talking about this for a long time before that,’’ Negron said. The physician issue is one of several major differences between the House and Senate as they try to agree on a health and human-services budget. Senate negotiators tinkered Wednesday night with one of those issues — slightly reducing a proposal to slash funding for adult mental-health programs.
But House Health Care Appropriations Chairman Matt Hudson, R-Naples, made clear that negotiating teams might not be able to resolve the major differences. If that is the case, top House and Senate leaders would have to negotiate the issues, which also include cutting nursing-home and hospital Medicaid rates and potentially cutting the Medically Needy program.
“I’m not sure, quite honestly, where we’re going to get on some of these big substantive items,” Hudson said.
By The News Service Of Florida
Comments
3 Responses to “House Balking At Higher Fla. Medicaid Reimbursements”
Been there said….”This will only ensure that more people go to the ER for treatment since they cannot, by law, be turned away, which will in turn result in even higher medical bills for the state.”
I said…. Let’s just pass a law that says they can’t get medical care under *any* circumstances. Should be easy with our current state legislature and governor. Let’s strike while the iron is hot!!!
After all, they are poor, so it’s unlikely they will have the political clout to do anything about it. If we keep trying, maybe we can just run all poor people out of the state.
And even if they do keep ER privileges it takes ‘em 10-12 hours to get in, get treated and get out.
Maybe they will just get tired of our Christian attitude and move out of state.
This is ridiculous. It’s already almost impossible to find a doctor who will accept Medicaid. This will only ensure that more people go to the ER for treatment since they cannot, by law, be turned away, which will in turn result in even higher medical bills for the state, Yep, makes a lot of sense.
Would the last doctor to leave Florida please turn out the lights?