Reduced Reimbursement Could Affect Doctors' Willingness To Treat Medi-Cal Patients, Physicians, Advocates Say

CAL/AAEM News Service pottsbri@yahoo.com
Thu, 31 Jul 2003 14:19:32 -0700 (PDT)


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-----Original Message-----

From: California Healthline [mailto:CALIFORNIAHEALTHLINE@ADVISORY.COM] 

Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 10:08 AM





Reduced Reimbursement Could Affect Doctors' Willingness To Treat Medi-Cal Patients, Physicians, Advocates Say 

07/31/2003 

A 5% reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursements to doctors included in a $100 billion Assembly budget proposal could dissuade some physicians from accepting Medi-Cal beneficiaries and "further degrad[e] care for the poor," the http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/thu/news/news_1n31medical.html San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune,7/31). The Assembly on Tuesday voted 56-22 to approve a $100 billion state budget for fiscal year 2003-2004 that includes 5% cuts to Medi-Cal physician reimbursement rates to save $115 million in the first six months of 2004 ( http://www.californiahealthline.org/members/basecontent.asp?contentid=49401&collectionid=3&contentarea=31279 California Healthline, 7/30). The cut is expected to reduce state expenditures by $244 million the following fiscal year (San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/31). The budget agreement retains all optional benefits currently provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries (California Healthline, 7/30). According t!
 o Mickie
 Beyer, director of the <http://www.ccc-sd.org/> San Diego Council of Community Clinics, if the 5% rate cut is enacted, it could cause more doctors to stop accepting new Medi-Cal patients. "This will be the act that nudges more specialty physicians now seeing Medi-Cal patients over the edge," Beyer said (San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/31). Some doctors in the San Joaquin Valley say they do not expect a 5% reimbursement cut to cause a "mass exodus" but concede that more doctors could consider the reduction a reason to stop accepting new Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the <http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/7217921p-8145889c.html> Fresno Bee reports. Although legislators yesterday said the Assembly budget proposal would not reduce Medi-Cal benefits, advocates for Medi-Cal beneficiaries say the 5% reimbursement rate reduction will offset the preservation of services. "If you have coverage and you can't find a doctor, it doesn't matter if you have coverage," Steven Thompson, vice preside!
 nt for
 government affairs at the <http://www.cmanet.org/> California Medical Association, said. Thompson added that if the 5% cut is enacted, the state could be in violation of a federal law that requires states to provide sufficient reimbursement for physicians to treat Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Thompson said the CMA could seek a lawsuit challenging the legality of the cut if it takes effect (Anderson, Fresno Bee, 7/31). 

Other Health Provisions 

The <http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-impact31jul31,1,6699554.story> Los Angeles Times today reported on more details of the Assembly's $100 billion budget proposal. In addition to the proposed 5% reduction in Medi-Cal physician reimbursement payments, the budget would also: 

 

* Cut by 5% funds to a program that pays for physicians to treat children from low-income families who have cancer, cerebral palsy, spina bifida or other life-threatening ailments;

 

* Require Medi-Cal beneficiaries to reapply for the program biannually instead of once per year; and

 

* Restrict access to state subsidized care for higher-income families (Morain/Warren, Los Angeles Times, 7/31). 



Brian Potts 
Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service 
MS-IV, UC-Irvine

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<DIV><FONT size=2>
<P>-----Original Message-----</P>
<P>From: California Healthline [</FONT><A href="mailto:CALIFORNIAHEALTHLINE@ADVISORY.COM"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>mailto:CALIFORNIAHEALTHLINE@ADVISORY.COM</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>] </P>
<P>Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 10:08 AM</P>
<P></P>
<P></P>
<P>Reduced Reimbursement Could Affect Doctors' Willingness To Treat Medi-Cal Patients, Physicians, Advocates Say </P>
<P>07/31/2003 </P>
<P>A 5% reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursements to doctors included in a $100 billion Assembly budget proposal could dissuade some physicians from accepting Medi-Cal beneficiaries and "further degrad[e] care for the poor," the </FONT><A href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/thu/news/news_1n31medical"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2><A href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/thu/news/news_1n31medical.html">http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/thu/news/news_1n31medical</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>.html</A> San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune,7/31). The Assembly on Tuesday voted 56-22 to approve a $100 billion state budget for fiscal year 2003-2004 that includes 5% cuts to Medi-Cal physician reimbursement rates to save $115 million in the first six months of 2004 ( </FONT><A href="http://www.californiahealthline.org/members/basecontent.asp?contentid=4"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2><A
 href="http://www.californiahealthline.org/members/basecontent.asp?contentid=49401&amp;collectionid=3&amp;contentarea=31279">http://www.californiahealthline.org/members/basecontent.asp?contentid=4</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>9401&amp;collectionid=3&amp;contentarea=31279</A> California Healthline, 7/30). The cut is expected to reduce state expenditures by $244 million the following fiscal year (San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/31). The budget agreement retains all optional benefits currently provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries (California Healthline, 7/30). According to Mickie Beyer, director of the &lt;</FONT><A href="http://www.ccc-sd.org/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>http://www.ccc-sd.org/</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>&gt; San Diego Council of Community Clinics, if the 5% rate cut is enacted, it could cause more doctors to stop accepting new Medi-Cal patients. "This will be the act that nudges more specialty physicians now seeing Medi-Cal patients over the edge," Beyer said (San D!
 iego
 Union-Tribune, 7/31). Some doctors in the San Joaquin Valley say they do not expect a 5% reimbursement cut to cause a "mass exodus" but concede that more doctors could consider the reduction a reason to stop accepting new Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the &lt;</FONT><A href="http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/7217921p-8145889c.html"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/7217921p-8145889c.html</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>&gt; Fresno Bee reports. Although legislators yesterday said the Assembly budget proposal would not reduce Medi-Cal benefits, advocates for Medi-Cal beneficiaries say the 5% reimbursement rate reduction will offset the preservation of services. "If you have coverage and you can't find a doctor, it doesn't matter if you have coverage," Steven Thompson, vice president for government affairs at the &lt;</FONT><A href="http://www.cmanet.org/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>http://www.cmanet.org/</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>&gt; California M!
 edical
 Association, said. Thompson added that if the 5% cut is enacted, the state could be in violation of a federal law that requires states to provide sufficient reimbursement for physicians to treat Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Thompson said the CMA could seek a lawsuit challenging the legality of the cut if it takes effect (Anderson, Fresno Bee, 7/31). </P>
<P>Other Health Provisions </P>
<P>The &lt;</FONT><A href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-impact31jul31,1,6699554.story"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-impact31jul31,1,6699554.story</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>&gt; Los Angeles Times today reported on more details of the Assembly's $100 billion budget proposal. In addition to the proposed 5% reduction in Medi-Cal physician reimbursement payments, the budget would also: </P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P>* Cut by 5% funds to a program that pays for physicians to treat children from low-income families who have cancer, cerebral palsy, spina bifida or other life-threatening ailments;</P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P>* Require Medi-Cal beneficiaries to reapply for the program biannually instead of once per year; and</P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P>* Restrict access to state subsidized care for higher-income families (Morain/Warren, Los Angeles Times, 7/31). </P></FONT></DIV><BR><BR><STRONG>Brian Potts <BR>Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service</STRONG> <BR>MS-IV, UC-Irvine<p><hr SIZE=1>
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