TMA EVPGram

Two leaders of the Border Health Caucus met with Health and Human Services Commissioner Kyle Janek, MD, to win his support for reversing the remaining cuts in payment for services to patients covered by both Medicare and Medicaid. Manny Acosta, MD, of El Paso and Luis Benevides, MD, of Laredo told Commissioner Janek that the dual-eligible cuts are still devastating many practices, especially along the Texas-Mexico border. The 2011 Texas Legislature ordered the cut in dual-eligible payments as a budget-saving move. The change effectively:

1. Stopped Medicaid from covering all of the dual-eligible patients’ $140 annual Medicare deductible; and
2. Prevented Medicaid from paying more than the Medicaid-allowable charge; this stopped Medicaid coverage of the Medicare copay.

Late last year, state leaders ordered the restoration of payment for the patients’ Medicare deductibles. We continue our work on reversing some or all of the rest of the cuts.