Texas Register Updates: ICFs/MR and Nursing

The following information was obtained from the August 20 issue of the Texas Register: Public Notices HHSC proposes new Medicaid per diem reimbursement rates for the Truman W. Smith Children’s Care Center ($219.69 ) and DADS-operated/state-operated ICFs/MR (small $603.64; large Medicaid-only: $537.41; large dual-eligible Medicaid/Medicare: $516.23). See the Texas Register for more information. HHSC intends [...]

Texas Register Updates: July 2 Issue

The following information was obtained from the July 2 issue of the Texas Register: Public Notices HHSC intends to submit Transmittal Number 10-047, Amendment Number 940, to the Texas State Plan for Medical Assistance, under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, to modify the asset limits to the Medicare Savings Program as mandated under [...]

Number of Doctors Refusing Medicare Patients Growing

We wanted to point you to another news story about the growing number of doctors who no longer accept Medicare patients. An excerpt from USA Today: Recent surveys by national and state medical societies have found more doctors limiting Medicare patients, partly because Congress has failed to stop an automatic 21% cut in payments that [...]

Texas Register Update and DADS News Alerts:

The following item appeared in the June 18 issue of the Texas Register: HHSC intends to submit to CMS a request for an amendment to the CBA waiver program, which would add more slots to the waiver program, document the use of Individual Responsibility Agreements, and update terminology throughout the waiver application. For copies and [...]

Texas Register Updates: NFs, TX Medical Board

The following information was obtained from the May 28 issue of the Texas Register: Public Hearing and Notices HHSC will hold a public hearing on June 15, 2010, at 1 p.m., to receive public comment on proposed payment rates for the state-owned veterans nursing facilities, to be held  in the Permian Basin Room of the [...]

Doctors May See 21.3 Percent Medicare Cut

Last week we linked to an article in the Houston Chronicle about doctors in Texas dropping out of the Medicare program. The program provides health insurance coverage to people age 65 and older and those who meet certain criteria. Because of lower reimbursement rates and other problems, many physicians are no longer accepting Medicare patients. [...]

Texas Doctors Dropping Medicare at ‘Alarming’ Rate

The primary care physician shortage in the U.S. is well documented. The health care reform law will increase pressure on these doctors as it goes into effect. Add this to news that more doctors are opting out of Medicaid and Medicare, and the situation appears critical. According to the Houston Chronicle, doctors in Texas are [...]

Health Care Reform and Medicaid Expansion

The New York Times published a story about the new health care law’s burden on already burdened states. Under the bill, millions more Americans will be covered under Medicaid. An excerpt: “Able-bodied adults under 65 — now mostly ineligible unless they have dependent children — will qualify for coverage in 2014 as long as they [...]

CMS News: Physician Payment Rates, Inpatient Care

Physicians will get a temporary reprieve from Medicare reimbursement payment cuts. Last week, President Barack Obama signed into law the Continuing Extension Act of 2010, which holds off a payment reduction through May 31, 2010. The law is retroactive to April 1, 2010. “The Administration has repeatedly stated that the formula that determines what physicians [...]

Congressional Democrats Now Wary of Health Care Reform

In light of Republican Scott Brown’s defeat of Democrat Martha Coakley for the late Ted Kennedy’s U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts, Democrats in both houses of Congress are considering trying to pass health care reform in smaller bills rather than one large bill. During his campaign, Brown publicly opposed President Barack Obama’s health care reform [...]

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