Health care study: SD underfunded by $30.05 per Medicaid patient
January 31, 2013 at 12:56 am in The Daily Republic
The report projects that Medicaid underpayments to providers will exceed $7 billion nationally for 2012.
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Health care study: SD underfunded by $30.05 per Medicaid patient
2 Comments
This is a major reason why private insurance has grown so rapidly. Across SD, you will see a steady transition of independent practitioners towards a hospital system. Providers know it is getting downright impossible to cover overhead when an increasing portion of SD demographics you have to pay to see. If foodstamps worked the same way, it would mean someone on foodstamps (Medicaid) could walk into the grocery store (clinic) and load her cart up with 100 dollars of groceries and use 60$ worth of food stamps (free to her) and the grocery store owner eats the 40$ loss. It used to be the private sector could cover that loss, but as Medicare has cut back on payments and even cola adjustments to providers and private insurance tries to limit payment, increase deductibles and copays, increase denials and refusals to pay, the system is near unsustainable. Obamacare will bring even lower reimbursement than Medicare and place an even greater burden on the system. SD is THE lowest reimbursed state in the country for Medicaid, Medicare and Workers Comp along with and in some cases behind ND. I recommend you have a good relationship with your Dr. if you have one. Things are gonna change. I am afraid that the average person may be surprised at the lack of access that may be coming and I suspect the cost may be more than money.
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ps. when I say private insurance has grown, I mean the cost of your premium, and out of pocket expense.
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