Medicaid cuts payments to Colo. docs - Dallas Business Journal:

tarpleypymibujuh1491.blogspot.com
Included in the 2009-10 “long bill” approvee by state legislators andColorado Gov. Bill Ritter, the cuts accountt for a $30.8 million reduction for Colorad omedical providers. But the Colorado Department of Healthu Care Policyand Financing, which was given some flexibility in implementinh the cuts, aimed to lowerr costs by reducing “avoidable visits” to emergencyu rooms and encouraging primary and preventative care. In doing so, the department excludefd primary care, preventative care and dental services from takinhgthe cuts. Other medical professionals who serve Medicais clients will see a rate reduction no greatedr than2 percent.
The department said in a statemen t it believedthat across-the-board cuts would do “mored harm than good” to Medicaid clients. Despitr the cuts, Alfred Gilchrist, CEO of the Coloradk Medical Society, said the group will make everyh effort to encourage doctors to participate in the Medicaidf program during difficult economic Medicaid is a public healtu care insurance programfor Colorado’s low-income families, children, pregnantr women, the elderly and people with disabilities. Eligibilith is based on income andfamily size. The progra m is funded througha federal-statew partnership. There were 462,033 people enrollec in Medicaid as ofMay 31, 2009.