Posted on January 30, 2009 17:03
Topics: Medicaid
Post Type: news
From the Kaiser Family Foundation:
"A new federal rule allows states to charge Medicaid beneficiaries
premiums and higher copayments for physicians' services, hospital care
and prescriptions drugs, the New York Times reports. The rule, which was published on Tuesday in the Federal Register, implements a law (S 1932) signed by President Bush in 2006.
The
rule allows states to implement a sliding scale for premiums and
copays, the total of which cannot exceed 5% of a family's income. Under
the new rule, states in certain cases can deny care or coverage to
Medicaid beneficiaries who do not pay their premiums or their portion
of the costs for particular items or services. For Medicaid
beneficiaries with incomes at or below the federal poverty level,
states can require copays of up to $3.40 for a physician visit or other
services. That $3.40 maximum will be updated each year in accordance
with medical inflation. For Medicaid beneficiaries with incomes between
100% and 150% of the poverty level, states can require beneficiaries to
contribute up to 10% of what the state pays for a service. States can
require beneficiaries with incomes above those levels to contribute up
to 20% of what states pay for a service. The new rule allows states to
use copays to encourage the use of preferred brand-name drugs and to
discourage the use of emergency departments for primary care."
Full story: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=55798
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