Providing services to Medicaid recipients, particularly emergency room and outpatient services, creates significant problems for providers who cannot meet their costs.  In addition, access to health care services is a significant problem for low- and moderate-income individuals, especially in rural areas and in inner cities, and dental, behavioral health and substance abuse services are limited due to inadequate payment rates and program funding.

Conference Position

The NYS Catholic Conference supports additional cost-based increases in the Medicaid reimbursement rates for emergency room, outpatient clinic, dental and behavioral health services, and alcohol and substance abuse programs.  In addition, the Conference supports simplification of the paperwork required of Medicaid providers, which acts as a disincentive to recruiting an adequate supply of health care practitioners.

Rationale

Despite Medicaid rate increases enacted in the 2006-2007 budget, reimbursements for outpatient and emergency room visits, for dental and behavioral health services, and for physician office visits still remain below costs.

The availability of dental, behavioral health and substance abuse services, particularly in rural and inner city areas, is limited due to the insufficiency of Medicaid reimbursement rates for providers.  In communities where there is a provider that accepts Medicaid, chances are that there is only one location and accessing services is difficult if transportation is unavailable.  Where there are no affordable dental services in the community, increased travel becomes a necessity to obtain needed services, or necessary services are foregone.

It is critical that reimbursement rates for these essential services must be increased in order to make necessary health services accessible to low- and moderate-income individuals.