Texas Medicaid Pay Increase Waiting on Federal Approval

It remains unclear whether Texas will receive federal approval to increase Medicaid payments to primary care physicians under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a report from The Texas Tribune.

Advertisement

The pay raise was supposed to take effect in January but has been postponed in Texas and several other states because the federal government has not yet approved their proposed strategies for increasing reimbursements, Stephanie Goodman, a spokeswoman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, told The Texas Tribune. Texas received approval for its pay-boosting strategy for the fee-for-service system but is still waiting for feedback on its approach to managed care rates, according to the report.

CMS told the Tribune it’s working quickly to review the state’s methodology. Texas didn’t submit its proposed plan for managed care until late July, nearly three months after the official deadline, according to the report. Ms. Goodman told the Tribune the state missed the deadline because CMS didn’t release its final rate increase process regulations until November 2012.

Once it receives federal approval for the managed care pay increase strategy, the state will retroactively pay primary care physicians for Medicaid billings filed since January, according to the report.

More Articles on Medicaid Payments:
48 States Expected to Start Paying Physicians Higher Medicaid Rates
Arkansas Hospitals Express Concern Over Medicaid Change
Rhode Island Hospitals Get $5.8M to Fix Pay Disparity

At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.

Download Whitepaper

The cost-saving opportunity most health systems overlook

Many hospitals and health systems scrutinize staffing, service lines, and payer contracts for savings. Fewer look at one of their largest assets: real estate.…

Advertisement

Next Up in Financial Management

Advertisement

Comments are closed.