Alaska Temporarily Delays Medicaid Payments To Doctors, Hospitals
State officials say claims will still be paid according to the timetable mandated by the federal government and the delays will be brief as they grapple with a shortfall at the end of the fiscal year.
Juneau (Alaska) Empire:
State Briefly Suspends Medicaid Payments To Doctors
The state of Alaska has suspended Medicaid payments to hospitals and clinics amid a continuing budget impasse in the Legislature, but the state’s director of health care services said the two events are unrelated. On Wednesday, in a letter emailed to health care providers, health care services director Margaret Brodie said “it is necessary for us to temporarily pend some Medicaid claims while Medicaid funds are reallocated among accounts.” (Brooks, 5/26)
Peninsula Clarion (Alaska):
Medicaid Claim Payments Delayed
DHSS Deputy Director for Health Care Service Lori Campbell said her department will decide weekly which claims to suspend and which to pay. Medicaid claims are usually paid or denied in a weekly cycle, which Campbell said “starts at noon on Monday and is typically not finalized until late Wednesday, early Thursday.” During each weekly cycle, a financial team in DHSS will now choose which claims will be processed based on how dependent on Medicaid the provider is. ... the lack of funds that led to the suspended Medicaid claims came from the lack of a normally-available state funding source. As DHSS approaches the limits of its budget at the end of the fiscal year, it is usually able to request additional money from the legislature. This year, no money is available to fill the need. (Boettger, 5/25)
