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

ivyhofy.wordpress.com
Included in the 2009-10 “longg bill” approved by state legislatora andColorado Gov. Bill Ritter, the cuts accountf for a $30.8 million reduction for Colorado medical But the Colorado Department of Healthy Care Policy and which was given some flexibility in implementinbgthe cuts, aimed to lower costzs by reducing “avoidable visits” to emergency rooms and encouraging primaru and preventative care. In doing so, the departmeng excluded primary care, preventative care and dentall services from takingthe cuts. Othef medical professionals who serve Medicaid clients will see a rate reductiohn no greater than2 percent.
The department said in a statement it believedthat across-the-board cuts would do “morre harm than good” to Medicaid clients. Despitwe the cuts, Alfred Gilchrist, CEO of the Coloradi Medical Society, said the group will make everu effort to encourage doctors to participate in the Medicai program during difficulteconomic times. Medicaid is a public health care insurance prograkfor Colorado’s low-income families, children, pregnant the elderly and people with disabilities. Eligibility is basefd on income and family The program is funded througha federal-state partnership. There were 462,032 people enrolled in Medicaid as ofMay 31, 2009.