N.M. Plans To Cut $33.5M In Medicaid Reimbursements To Doctors, Hospitals, Dentists
The cuts are part of an effort to close an $86 million state funding gap. Also in the news, a look at funding problems for California's Medicaid program for patients with HIV.
The Associated Press:
New Mexico Outlines Cuts To Medicaid Provider Rates
New Mexico's Human Services Department has released an outline of proposed cuts to reimbursement rates for Medicaid health care providers aimed at trimming up to $160 million in annual state and federal spending. ... New Mexico is seeking to close an $86 million state funding gap for Medicaid services between now and mid-2017, under budget restrictions linked to a downturn in energy markets and other spending priorities. (Lee, 4/26)
Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal:
State To Cut Medicaid Payments To Medical Providers
Faced with limited dollars and skyrocketing Medicaid enrollment, the New Mexico Human Services Department announced Tuesday it plans to generate as much as $33.5 million in savings by cutting provider rates for doctors, hospitals and dentists around the state. The rate cuts, which would take effect in July, include several changes from a recommendation rolled out earlier this month by an 11-member panel that was made up of health care industry executives and practitioners from around the state. (Boyd, 4/26)
Kaiser Health News:
Medi-Cal AIDS Program Is Underfunded, Advocates Say
Andy Martin’s body had rejected another HIV medication, and now his viral load was spiking. Sitting in his living room, Martin told a nurse and a social worker that he’d recently spent three days in the hospital with a high fever. The social worker, Scott Blackburn, told him that if his viral load didn’t drop, he could end up there again. ... The visits to Martin, 61, are part of a Medi-Cal program designed to help HIV and AIDS patients avoid costly hospitalizations and nursing home stays. Medi-Cal is California’s version of Medicaid. (Gorman, 4/27)
