New alliance could aid Medicaid rates

ATLANTA --- Hospitals and doctors desiring an increase in the rates paid by taxpayer-funded health-care plans have formed an alliance with business and government groups to help push the proposal through the General Assembly.

Most of the medical groups involved in the new ACCESS Healthcare Coalition, such as the Georgia Hospital Association, the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians and the Georgia OB/GYN Society, have long supported boosting how much the federal-state Medicaid program reimburses doctors for care provided for the system's low-income patients. Under current law, hospitals and doctors lose about 15 cents for every dollar in care they provide to Medicaid recipients.

Now, the groups have two influential new allies in the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. And they have the optimism provided by a budget proposal from the Department of Community Health that would boost reimbursements by about $40 million and also draw additional federal funds.

"We all decided we would be much more influential if we came together," said Kevin Bloye, a spokesman for the Georgia Hospital Association.

Medical groups have long argued that the underpayment for Medicaid patients increases prices for everyone as hospitals look to make up for the money they lose.

Now, with businesses and county governments facing dramatic increases in their health-care bills, the issue has bubbled to the top of the agenda for groups that don't traditionally align themselves with increased spending on social programs.