In 2008, Medicaid alone provided health coverage and services for approximately 49 million low income children, pregnant women, elderly persons, and disabled individuals in the U.S., totaling an estimated $204 billon. A survey released in February by the Kaiser Family Foundation found total Medicaid enrollment jumped 7.5 percent from June 2008 to June 2009, and 13 states had double digit increases. With virtually every state making or considering substantial budget cuts in 2010, there is even more pressure on hospitals to squeeze every cent out of what little money is left to fund Medicaid. But along with cuts in Medicaid, hospitals can expect increases in regulations, decreases in state employees needed to process Medicaid applications, and a long line of newly unemployed people seeking their entitled benefits. If you’ve retained an eligibility vendor to process Medicaid applications for your self-pay patients, you may want to pose a few questions they may have never been asked before. The money you save may be your own.
To read more, click here
|