Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Hampshire Health Care Professionals Want Lawmakers To Unfreeze Medicaid Reimbursement Rates
In 2006, New Hampshire approved an increase in the rates providers are paid by Medicaid. But after a recession, wild political swings and competing priorities, the rates have stayed the same, and clinics and community centers are feeling the pinch. Nursing homes have struggled to fill positions. Home health care recipients can hardly get the care workers to show up seven days week. Wages for lower-level nursing employees hover around $11 to $13 an hour. (DeWitt, 5/6)
Nearly 50 health care organizations and the people they serve were represented at a rally in front of the State House on Monday, calling for passage of a Senate bill that would invest an additional $80 million a year in New Hampshire鈥檚 health care workforce. The bill, SB 308, would increase the rates paid to Medicaid service providers by 5 percent in 2020 and 7 percent in 2021, while expanding the college loan repayment program for health care professionals. (Solomon, 5/6)
A Maryland man who crashed Oregon鈥檚 Medicaid system for eight hours in 2016 because he was upset over losing his job pleaded guilty to fraud Monday in federal court. Hossein Heydari, 61, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, also agreed to pay about $76,000 in restitution. Heydari will be sentenced Aug. 12 in U.S. District Court in Portland. He faces up to 10 years in prison. (Bailey, 5/6)
Currently, Medi-Cal covers eye exams, evaluations, screenings and measurements for eyeglass prescriptions. It covers eyeglasses, lenses and other low-vision devices only for people under 21, seniors in nursing homes and pregnant women. Two years ago, the Legislature called for the eyeglasses benefit to be restored in 2020, contingent on legislative funding. Advocates saw this statement 鈥 in a budget 鈥渢railer bill鈥 agreed upon by the Legislature and former Gov. Jerry Brown 鈥 as a commitment to bring the benefit back. (Aguilera, 5/6)
State officials are contacting six consulting firms to solicit proposals for a $2.6 million contract to develop health care waivers for Medicaid and the private insurance market in Georgia. This work is part of recently passed legislation that was pushed by Gov. Brian Kemp. Under the legislation, Georgia can request federal permission (i.e., a waiver) to enact changes to its Medicaid program, potentially adding more people to the rolls. (Miller, 5/6)
