The elimination of the primary care bump — created under the Affordable Care Act and continued by states to pay Medicaid-accepting physicians higher Medicare rates — could lead to physician layoffs and hinder Medicaid recipients’ access to care. The privately insured could also face challenges from layoffs, state medical associations said.
With the primary care bump elimination, participating physicians who received $101 from Medicaid for 25-minute office visits will receive $67. Reimbursements for 70-minute hospital visits will decrease from $194 to $113, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.
Twenty-two percent of Alabama’s population receives Medicaid coverage, according to the report. Pediatricians accepting Medicaid recipients could be hit hard, as more than half of the state’s 1 million Medicaid recipients are children.
The primary care bump elimination will save the agency about $14.7 million, the Montgomery Advertiser reported.
More articles about healthcare human capital and risk:
5 factors influencing retention of newly licensed nurses
Indiana Nurses Association files unfair labor practice charge
More than just a healthy balance sheet
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
