Proposed Medicaid Cuts Alarm Paralyzed Patients in Colorado
The Denver Post reports that "a proposal to drastically cut the Medicaid reimbursement for two centers in Colorado that care for a unique group of severely injured patients has provoked panic among families and a promise from the state that no patients will be kicked out - for now." The Post reports that "directors of the centers, the only two in the state that take such patients, said state officials notified them last fall that their daily reimbursement rate per patient would drop from $600 or $700 per day to $300 or $350. The new rates were to take effect almost immediately for new patients and on July 1, 2010, for the 30 patients already living in the two centers."
However, the Post reports that "state Medicaid officials now say they are backpedaling from the cuts they initially proposed, but their signal that change is coming already has resulted in refusals to accept new patients by both of the Colorado long-term care facilities - Vista View Care Center in Thornton and Westwind Campus of Care in Pueblo." The Post adds, "In what seems a major miscommunication, the state now says it is still paying the higher daily rate, but the center directors say they were not told that Medicaid officials had decided to hold off on the rate cut" (Brown, 5/24).
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.