Earlier this month, CMS reported on a new rule that purportedly would increase Medicaid payments to primary care physicians.
Secretary [Kathleen] Sebelius also announced today that, in 2011, over 150,000 primary care providers nationwide received almost $560 million in higher Medicare payments because of the Affordable Care Act. This is another way the Affordable Care Act rewards doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other primary care providers who are central to our health care system.
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Today’s proposed rule would implement the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that Medicaid reimburse family medicine, general internal medicine, pediatric medicine, and related subspecialists at Medicare levels in CY 2013 and CY 2014. The increase in payment for primary care is paid entirely by the federal government with no matching payments required of states.
The federal government obviously wants to provide incentives to primary care doctors to remain in such practices and to accept more of these patients. Otherwise, the shortage will become worse, and fewer doctors will accept these patients. Med-Cal enrollees in California are feeling the effects.
