Doctors for America, Nearly 100 Groups Urge Increase in Medicaid Reimbursement in Health Care Reform Bill # January 13, 2010
Letter endorses House provisions to set Medicaid payment in parity with Medicare Reimbursement Rates
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Doctors for America and a broad coalition of provider groups, labor unions, and community activists wrote to Congress to urge them, and the President, to prioritize parity between Medicaid reimbursement rates and existing Medicare reimbursement. In a letter delivered today, the groups endorsed the policy proposal in the House version of the health care reform bill as the best solution to include in the final reform bill in order to make sure patients most in need can get access to care.
“As we expand the Medicaid program, we must ensure there are enough doctors and nurses to deliver the care. The House provision ensures access to care for those most in need,” said Dr. Mandy Krauthamer Cohen of Doctors for America. “As Congress and the President finalize this historic health reform bill, our 16,000 physician members urge them to include the House bill provision to bring Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care in line with comparable Medicare rates within four years.”
While both the Senate and the House bills would increase enrollment to Medicaid by an estimated 15 million people, but the Senate bill does not address the low rates of reimbursement for providers for primary care. The House provision adjusts Medicaid payments for primary care to at least 100 percent of Medicare rates.
Doctors for America is a grassroots group of over 16,000 physicians with a presence in all fifty states committed to passing meaningful health reform legislation. The group works to convey the ideas and experiences of physicians in order to achieve reform that provides high quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans.
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi and Chairmen Rangel, Waxman, Miller, Baucus, Dodd and Harkin:
As you craft the final health care reform bill, the undersigned organizations urge you to ensure meaningful access to care under the proposed Medicaid expansion by adopting the House provision to bring Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care in line with comparable Medicare rates within four years.
While we strongly support expanding Medicaid to extend health coverage to low income individuals, we are very concerned that failure to address reimbursement disparities will weaken an already fragile network of Medicaid providers at a time when the demand for their services will be growing.
Medicaid rates average just 66% of Medicare rates for primary care services and are woefully inadequate to cover the cost of providing care. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the planned expansion will increase enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program by as many as 15 million beneficiaries. Those who rely on Medicaid to meet their health care needs include millions of low-income women, children, minorities and individuals with disabilities. The inadequacy of Medicaid reimbursement levels must be addressed in conjunction with the Medicaid expansion or we risk leaving our poorest and most medically-vulnerable residents behind despite the remarkable promise offered by health reform.
Please give high priority to ensuring access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries by adopting the House provision to adjust Medicaid payments for primary care to at least 100 percent of Medicare rates.
Thank you for your consideration.
AFL-CIO
AFSCME
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin
AIDS/HIV Health Alternatives
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Foundation for the Blind
American Anesthesiology Group, Inc.
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Association on Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
American College of Osteopathic Internists
American College of Physicians
American Hospice Foundation
American Network of Community Options and Resources
American Nurses Association
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Society of Nephrology
American Thoracic Society
APSE
Association for Community Affiliated Plans
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Autism Society
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Black Women's Health Imperative
Broward House
Burton Blatt Institute
California Medical Association
Catholic Health Association of the US
Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY
Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc.
Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio
Clinica Sierra Vista
Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups
Coalition on Human Needs
Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare
Community Access National Network
Consumer Action
Consumers Union
Council for Exceptional Children
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Doctors Council SEIU
Doctors for America
Easter Seals
Families USA
Family Voices
Harlem United Community AIDS Center
Harris Center for Disability and Health Policy
Health Care For All (Massachusetts)
Health Reform Program
HIV Dental Alliance
HIV Health Services Planning Council-San Francisco
HIV Medicine Association
HIVictorious, Inc.
Housing Works
La Fe Policy Research and Education Center
Lutheran Services in America Disability Network
Mental Health America
MomsRising
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Association of Children's Hospitals
National Association of Community Health Centers
National Association of County Human Services Administrators
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of People with AIDS
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
National Council of Jewish Women
National Disability Rights Network
National Down Syndrome Congress
National Health Law Program
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Patient Advocate Foundation
National Physicians Alliance
National Respite Coalition
National Spinal Cord Injury Association
National Women's Health Network
National Women's Law Center
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Northwest Health Law Advocates
NYC for Change
Out of Many, One
Pediatrix Medical Group
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Project Inform
Racial and Ethnic Disparities Coalition
Raising Women's Voices for the Health Care We Need
Renal Physicians Association
Reproductive Health Access Project
RESULTS
Ryan White Medical Providers Coalition
Share Your Comments
Your Comment