The Healthcare Financial Management Association quoted Manatt’s Deborah Bachrach, a partner with Manatt Health, for an article about how states can improve beneficiary access without increasing provider rates in the face of upcoming cuts to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital program.
In a discussion about Medicaid rates and access, Bachrach noted that research has indicated slightly better access for Medicaid enrollees under Arkansas’ so-called private option, compared to those with traditional Medicaid coverage.
“The Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in [private health plans] are getting better access to the same providers because they come with a slightly higher rate of reimbursement than they would if they were in Medicaid,” Bachrach said. “So there’s a lot of ways to think about how to use the money to ensure access.”
Read the article here.