Monthly Archives: April 2014
Personal Care Services: Will the Fear of the “F” Word (Medicaid Fraud) Cause PCS in the Home to Be Eradicated???
In my career, I call it the “F” word:
Fraud.
Its existence and fear of existence drives Medicare and Medicaid policies.
It is without question that Medicare and Medicaid fraud needs to be eliminated. In fact, for true Medicare and Medicaid fraud, I propose harsher penalties. Think about what the fraudulent provider is doing…taking health care dollars from the elderly and poor without providing services. Medicare and Medicaid recipients receive less medically necessary services because of fraudulent providers.
Just recently, in Charlotte, on April 9, 2014, V.F. Brewton, of Shelby, N.C., was sentenced to 111 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $7,070,426 in restitution to Medicaid and $573,392 to IRS. On April 8, 2014, co-defendant, R. S. Cannon, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 102 months in prison, three years court supervised release and ordered to pay $2,541,306 in restitution. See press release. Ouch!
On November 21, 2013, in Miami, Fla., Roberto Marrero, who ran Trust Care, was sentenced 120 months in prison. From approximately March 2007 through at least October 2010, Trust Care submitted more than $20 million in claims for home health services. Medicare paid Trust Care more than $15 million for these fraudulent claims. Marrero and his co-conspirators have also acknowledged their involvement in similar fraudulent schemes at several other Miami health care agencies with estimated total losses of approximately $50 million. See article. Ouch!
However, there are never the stories in the newspapers and media about all the services actually rendered to Medicare and Medicaid recipients by upstanding providers who do not commit fraud, but, instead, work very hard every day to stay up-to-date on regulations and policies and who do not reap much profit for the services provided. I guess that doesn’t make good journalism.
I recently attended the Association for Home and Hospice Care (AHHC) conference in RTP, NC. I met wonderful and non-fraudulent providers. Each provider I met was passionate and compassionate about their job. The only time money was brought up was to discuss the low reimbursement rates and the low profit margin for these providers.
In fact, one of the speakers even opined that, because of the alleged prevalence of fraud in home health care, the federal and state governments will continue to cut reimbursement rates for home health and hospice until over 50% of the agencies operate at a loss by 2017. That is a dismal thought! What happened to our right to pursue a career without intervention?
One provider informed me that, upon his or her information and belief, there is a chance that PCS, which is an optional program under Medicaid, may be wiped out in the near future by the General Assembly (PCS for home health and assisted living facilities, not the recipients covered by the Waiver).
What are personal care services (PCS)?
In the world of Medicaid and Medicare, there are a number of different types of PCS. No, actually, I think it is more apropos to say there are a number of different PCS recipients in the world of Medicaid and Medicare.
First, the definition/eligibility requirements:
Personal Care Services (PCS) are available to individuals who have a medical condition, disability, or cognitive impairment and demonstrate unmet needs for, at a minimum three of the five qualifying activities of daily living (ADLs) with limited hands-on assistance; two ADLs, one of which requires extensive assistance; or two ADLs, one of which requires assistance at the full dependence level. The five qualifying ADLs are eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, and mobility. See DMA website.
PCS are provided to developmentally disabled people under the 1915 b/c Waivers, people who reside in nursing homes and long-term assisted living facilities, and people who qualify to receive PCS in their homes. For purposes of this blog, I am writing about the latter three types of recipients. All 50 states allow PCS for qualified individuals, but the qualifications differ among the states.
In this day and age, the “F” word drives Medicaid and Medicare policies. Without question Medicaid fraud exists. Whether Medicaid fraud is as prevalent as some may believe, I am not sure. I have certainly witnessed honest providers accused of Medicaid fraud.
And home health care providers are viewed by some, generally, as the providers who can most easily commit Medicaid fraud (with which I do not agree, but must concede that home health care is more difficult to monitor). For example, a home health care provider goes to a person’s home and provides services. Who would know whether the home health care provider was billing for services on days he or she did not go to the recipient’s house? Not the recipient, because the recipient has no idea for what dates the provider is billing. Unlike an assisted living facility or nursing home that is easier to monitor and would have the documentation to show that the recipient actually lived in the facility.
Because of the alleged prevalence of fraud in home health care, apparently, (and with no independent verification on my part) some in North Carolina are questioning whether we should continue to reimburse PCS with Medicaid dollars, particularly as to home health. But if we stopped reimbursing for PCS in the homes, what would be the alternative? How would it affect North Carolinians? Would eliminating PCS save tax dollar money? Stop fraud?
When we evaluate the effects of whether to continue to reimburse for PCS with Medicaid dollars, we aren’t only talking about those served by PCS, but also the companies and all employees providing the home health. In 2012 in NC, approximately 40,000 were employed in home health.
Why is home health care important (or is it?)? Should we allow the “F” word to erase PCS in home health?
What is the alternative to home health? Answer: (1) Assisted living facilities? (2) Nursing homes? (3) A dedicated, family caregiver? (4) Nothing?
While there are, I am sure, many reasons that PCS in home health care is vital to our community, for the purposes of this blog, I am going to concentrate on cost savings to the taxpayers. Home health costs us (taxpayers) less money than other alternatives to home health.
Also, understand please that I am not advocating that everyone should receive home health instead of entering nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Quite the contrary, as both nursing homes and assisted living facilities are essential to NC. I am merely pointing out that all the services (home health, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities) are important.
What is the difference between assisted living and nursing homes?
An assisted living community provides communal living, usually with social activities, a cafeteria, laundry service, etc. I always think of my grandma at Glenaire in Cary, NC. She plays bridge, attends a book club, and even takes a computer course! She actually joined Facebook a couple of years ago!
A nursing home, on the other hand, provides 24-hour supervision by a licensed or registered nursing staff. Generally, the folks eligible to be admitted into an assisted living facility will be eligible to receive PCS (see the above definition/eligibility requirements). So, logically, the clientele in an assisted living facility receiving PCS could, in some cases, also be eligible to receive PCS in their home. Obviously a number of factors come into play to determine whether a person goes into an assisted living facility versus staying at home and receiving home health care: eligibility, family issues, money, condition of your home, money, desire for independence, money, health issues, and money.
Because of the level of supervision and skill required in a nursing home, a nursing home will be much more expensive than an assisted living facility. Insomuch as the assisted living facility will be less expensive than a nursing home, home health care, because you are paying for your own room and board, will be cheaper than both.
The average national cost for an assisted living facility in 2012 was $3,550/month. That’s $42,600/year. The average cost for an assisted living facility in 2012 in NC was $2900/month.
The average cost for a nursing home in NC for a semi-private room is $73,913 and $82,125 for a private room. That’s $225/day for a private room. For that price, you could get a room at a Ritz Carlton! (albeit not in a touristy area).
You think nursing homes are expensive in NC? Don’t move to NY!! In NY, for a semi-private room it costs $124,100/year and $130,670/year for a private room ($358/day!). Florida is a bit more expensive that NC too. In Florida, on average, a semi-private room in a nursing home costs $83,950 and a private room is approximately $91,615.
On the flip side, the average cost for a homemaker is $38,896. A home health aide costs, on average, $40,040.
If, in fact, NC ceases to reimburse PCS in home health, many of the people residing in their homes and relying on Medicaid-covered PCS will be forced to leave their homes for, in some case, more expensive alternatives.
Though the odd contrast may not be easily seen, there is an argument that erasing PCS in the home may actually cost the tax payers more. Not to mention that erasing PCS in home health would drive agencies bankrupt and staff jobless.
Remember, I have no verification that our General Assembly would or would not eradicate PCS in the home environment. It was mere speculation in a conversation. But the conversation got me thinking about the delicate balance of Medicaid services in NC. And how one abrupt and drastic change could change our health care system and capitalist ideas so quickly.
And, arguably, all because of the speculative “F” word. What is that political phrase we heard so much in the last elections? Oh, yes, maybe we should use a scalpel, not an ax?
$12 Million of Illinois Medicaid Dollars Paid for Services Rendered to the Deceased
Who would want state Medicaid dollars paying for services that are not medically necessary? What about services getting paid out for services rendered to dead people?
I mean, I am no doctor, but I fail to see why someone who is deceased would need dentures, dialysis, or a wheelchair.
Yet, the state of Illinois recently identified that it paid overpayments for Medicaid services to roughly 2,900 people after the date of their deaths, equaling approximately $12 million. See AP story.
How do state agencies verify eligibility for the multi-million number of Medicaid recipients within a state? Or, for that matter, how does the federal government determines eligibility for the nation’s Medicare population? Determining eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare is a large-scale, daunting task for both the federal government and the state government.
A key component of Medicaid and Medicare eligibility is that the person receiving the services is alive. Yet Illinois failed to check on the status of Medicaid recipients’ lives.
Improper payments of $12 million for Medicaid services delivered to the deceased are, obviously, disconcerting for taxpayers. We want Medicaid services to be provided to those people who need the services, and I cannot fathom what Medicaid services a deceased person would need.
Apparently, who determines Medicaid eligibility in Illinois has been a hotly, disputed and ideologically polarized debate. Illinois had hired Maximus Health Services, a private company, to verify Medicaid eligibility, including determining which recipients passed away. The company was said to be achieving a Medicaid eligibility-removal rate of 40 percent. Last year the contract between the state of Illinois and Maximus ended and the work was transferred into the hands of state employees.
The question remains in my mind, however, who has the duty to inform the state that a Medicaid recipient has passed away? Is the burden on the state employees to discover the deaths, as it appears to be in Illinois? Are Medicaid providers continuing to bill for deceased recipients? Obviously the deceased person does not have the burden to inform the state of his or her passing. Where should the responsibility lie? And where does it lie?
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn blamed the managed care companies. He stated that, in most of the cases that managed care insurance companies incorrectly billed for Medicaid services for deceased people.
This brings up another entity on which the burden of discovering the deaths of Medicaid recipients may lie.
We, in North Carolina, have a messy, unsupervised managed care organization (MCO) system for those suffering with mental health issues, are developmentally disabled and suffer from substance abuse. We currently have 10 MCOs, which are all in the process of merging to form only 3-4. Are the MCOs responsible for knowing when Medicaid recipients die?
Our State Auditor, Beth Wood, has not conducted a similar audit in North Carolina, to my knowledge, but it would not surprise me if NC is also providing Medicaid services to the deceased.
To my knowledge, the federal government has not conducted an audit of the Medicare services to determine whether Medicare funds are being spent on the deceased. Again, I would not be surprised to discover that Medicare funding is being spent on those whom have passed.
This is yet again another example of how the failure of the state government to supervise itself and its contractors costs taxpayers money.
Demand With Little Supply: Medicaid Enrollment Up, Physicians’ Acceptance of Medicaid…Not!
In microeconomics, you learn the theory of supply and demand, which is, basically, a model to determine the price of a product. The most basic explanation of supply and demand is if the demand for the product is high and the supply is low then the price of the product will be high. Take diamonds, for example. Whenever there is a finite amount of something the value goes up. I remember my dad telling me to invest in land abutting water. The reason? There is a finite amount of land abutting water. Once all the land is sold that touches water, it is gone unless someone decides to resell.
Similarly, there is a finite number of doctors or health care providers who accept Medicaid. Recently data show that Medicaid enrollment has jumped 3 million since October 2013. There are approximately 61 million Americans on Medicaid and approximately 319,510,848 Americans total. This increase in Medicaid enrollment is mainly due to 26 states expanding Medicaid due to the ACA, although Medicaid enrollment has increased in the states that opted to not expand as well.
That’s GREAT…..right?? 3 million more people are covered by health insurance than were covered back in October 2013. However, although theoretically the statistic should correlate to more people getting medical coverage, it may not.
We cannot assume that offering people Medicaid coverage will necessarily provide them with adequate access to health care services.
While the number of people on Medicaid is climbing, there is no evidence that the number of providers who accept Medicaid is climbing.
Health-care consulting firm, Merritt Hawkins, conducted a 2014 survey of Medicaid acceptance rates in the U.S.’s largest 15 cities. The 2014 survey researched five medical specialties: cardiology, dermatology, obstetrics-gynecology, orthopedic surgery, and family practice. It also calculated the average wait-time for Medicaid recipients to see a doctor in one of the five specialties.
The survey found that only 45.7% of physicians are now accepting Medicaid patients. This is a decrease from 55.4% in 2009 and 49.9% in 2004. Compare the percentage of physicians accepting Medicare, which is 76%.
The percentage of physicians accepting Medicaid varies immensely state by state. In Dallas, TX only 23% of physicians accept Medicaid; whereas in Boston 73% of the physicians accept Medicaid (but even though Boston seems to have more physicians accepting Medicaid, the wait time is not good; the average wait time to see a dermatologist in Boston is 72 days).
Much of the problem is high population and low percentage of doctors. See the table below.
Even more of the problem is that physicians refuse to accept Medicaid. So, looking at the above chart, and based on an estimated current U. S. population of about 319,510,848, there are two physicians for every 845 persons. Yet, only 23% of physicians accept Medicaid in Dallas. Less than half the physicians nationally accept Medicaid. So, of the 845 physicians, roughly 422 of the physicians will refuse to accept Medicaid. More and more Medicaid insured people will have fewer physicians. This is a scary thought.
Remember the horrible tragedy of Deamonte Driver? Even though Deamonte Driver died due to not seeing a dentist, not a physician, the analogy still applies. A 12-year-old Maryland boy, Deamonte Driver, died when a tooth infection spread to his brain. His mother, Alyce Driver, had been unable to find a dentist to treat him on Medicaid. Deamonte Driver died not because he was uninsured; he died because he was insured by the government.
Now imagine that it is not a dentist a parent is trying to find, but a cardiologist, where, in D.C., if you are on Medicaid, the average wait-time to see a cardiologist is 32 days. If only your heart problems would pause for 32 days.
The average cumulative wait times to see a cardiologist in all 15 markets was 16.8 days. Whereas if I were to call up a cardiologist, I would be able to make an appointment within a day or so.
I found a blog online that charted why doctors will not take Medicaid. See below.
See blog.
To physicians, Medicaid is a pain in the arse that reimburses them too little to warrant the pain.
Medicaid recipients suffer.
Going back to the 3 million increase in Medicaid enrollment…that’s great, right? Maybe. It depends whether the recipients can find a doctor.
Knock, Knock. Who’s There? Burwell. Burwell Who?
As I am sure most of you have heard, April 10, 2014, Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary to Health and Human Services (HHS), resigned. Some journalists wrote that her resignation came 6 months after “the disastrous rollout of Obamacare,” obviously alluding that she was fleeing from her position as Secretary. But is that why Sebelius left? And who is Sylvia Mathews Burwell?
It is no secret that when Healthcare.gov went live on October 1, 2013, Sebelius called the roll-out a “debacle.” But recent figures show enrollment in Obamacare exchanges has surpassed 7.5 million.
Sunday Sebelius stated that “Clearly, the estimate that it was ready to go Oct. 1 was just flat-out wrong.”
According to Politico Pro, “a White House official said Sebelius told Obama in March that she planned to resign. She felt that the Affordable Care Act trajectory was back on track, and believed “that once open enrollment ended it would be the right time to transition the Department to new leadership.””
It seems that Sebelius did not want to resign during the height of the debacle. She waited until things smoothed out a bit before walking away.
Obama has chosen Sylvia Mathews Burwell, his budget Director, to replace Sebelius.
Who is Burwell?
Burwell served as deputy White House chief of staff during the Clinton administration. She also served at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) twice, once as director. She has also worked at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (Speaking of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and people with obscene amounts of money, why don’t people ever set up charities to pay for Medicaid recipients to receive private insurance with the co-pays all covered? If I ever get an obscene amount of money I would set up a Medicaid Foundation. The Emanuel Medicaid Foundation. Look for that in the VERY FAR future, folks.).
Going back to Burwell…she received her bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University. She also received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University. Seriously? Is that a quadruple major from 2 colleges?
Her grandparents were Greek immigrants, and she grew up in West Virginia.
There isn’t much more information on Burwell. She is relatively young (48) and holds a relatively small resume considering the enormous undertaking she is about to assume.
Obama nominated Burwell one day after Sebelius resigned. There is no indication of whether Burwell was Obama’s first choice. It took him one day to replace Sebelius, which is pretty amazing. Remember, we still haven’t replaced former Medicaid Director, Carol Steckel. Sandy Terrell is still the “Acting Director.” Whew, it has got to be difficult to fill these intimidating positions.
I can only imagine how many people would NOT want to be Secretary of HHS. Talk about a big job! Talk about high stress!
Burwell has not been confirmed yet. Despite Burwell not being a common household name when Obama nominated her, it is without question that Burwell has now stepped into the limelight. If confirmed, Burwell will be one of the most powerful people in health care…and one of the most scrutinized.
Good luck, Burwell!! Make Burwell a household name…for good reasons. And when someone says, “Burwell who?”
Someone else will respond, “That is the Secretary for HHS.”
High Court to Decide Whether Agencies Like CMS Can Flip-Flop Decisions
Do you know anyone who constantly changes his or her mind? Sometimes changing your mind can have drastic consequences. Think about it in the aspects of politics. Imagine that Obama announces that he was switching parties to become a Republican? This would be a huge decision with drastic consequences.
As crazy as it sounds, politicians do switch sides. The most recent switch-hitter that I can recall is Charlie Crist of Florida. Republican Crist served as Florida’s governor from 2007 to 2011. In December 2011, Crist officially changed his party affiliation to Democrat. More famously, Ronald Reagan began his political career as a Democrat. Hillary Clinton used to be a Republican. These changes had profound impact.
Now imagine that the Supreme Court rules one way, then overturns itself. There would be drastic consequences, and it does not happen often (actually the Supreme Court has overturned itself 10 times over the course of history).
Similarly, what if the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued a final ruling, caused millions of providers to change the way they bill Medicare or Medicaid, then changed its mind?
Can CMS change its mind after issuing a final ruling?
This is precisely what the Supreme Court will decide.
In Perez v. Mortg. Bankers Ass’n, U.S., No. 13-1041, petition filed 2/28/14, the federal government is asking the Supreme Court to review whether an agency altered its interpretation of a regulation without adhering to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). In Perez, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a reinterpretation of a prior ruling without obtaining notice and comment from the public.
If the Supreme Court allows the DOL to uphold its reinterpretation, this holding could have serious ramifications in the health care arena. Medicare and Medicaid are also highly regulated, like labor laws. IF DOL’s reinterpretation stands, then CMS could also issue redeterminations of prior rulings without notice and comment.
Allowing CMS to flip-flop decisions would impact providers who rely on CMS rulings in order for their practices to remain compliant.
As of now, the Supreme Court has not decided whether it will hear arguments on this case. But both petitions filed with the Supreme Court cite a circuit court split in opinions. It is more likely for the Supreme Court to grant review of a case when there is a split of opinion.
Shortage of Dentists Who Accept Medicaid: The Shortage Continues
Here is a repost from over a year ago. But, recently, I met a orthodontist that accepts Medicaid. He informed me that very, very few orthodontists accept Medicaid in North Carolina. I was reminded of this post and realized that, sadly, nothing has changed. In fact, if any change has occurred, I venture to say that less dentists accept Medicaid after the implementation of NCTracks.
I’ve blogged before about the shortage of dentists for Medicaid recipients. Just see my post “Medicaid Expansion: BAD for the Poor” to read about Deamonte Driver’s story and why he died due to not being able to find a dentist accepting Medicaid. But, today and yesterday, I decided to conduct my own personal investigation. (remember, this was almost a year ago).
(First, let me assure you that this blog is not condemning dentists for not accepting Medicaid recipients. I am informatively (I know, not a word) pointing out the facts. We cannot expect dentists to accept Medicaid when the Medicaid reimbursements dentists receive cannot even cover their costs.)
I googled “Raleigh dentist” and called, randomly, 20 dentists listed. I said the same thing to each receptionist, “Hi. I was wondering whether you accept Medicaid.” Every office had a receptionist answer (no recording asking whether I wanted to continue in English or Spanish). Every office receptionist was very sorry, but the dental practice did not accept Medicaid. 0. Zero out of a random 20.
So I went on North Carolina Department Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) website for dental providers. I pulled up the dental providers, and, lo, and behold, 44 pages were full of dental providers for Medicaid recipients. Literally, 1,760 dental providers are listed (44 pages times 40 lines per page). (However, some practices are listed more than once, so this number is an approximation).
I thought, Wow. Tons of dentists in North Carolina accept Medicaid. Then I looked again. On the far right side of the chart, there is a space for whether the dental practice is accepting new clients. Roughly 1/2 of the listed dental providers are NOT accepting new Medicaid clients.
I called a few of the dentists in Wake County accepting Medicaid. Again, I asked whether they accepted Medicaid. One stated, “Yes, but not at the moment.” Another said, “Yes, but only for children 21 and under.” Another gave a blanket, “Yes.
So that’s Wake County…what about more rural counties?
I called a few dentists in Union County. Two practices did not answer. One dental practice answered and gave me a “Yes.” According to the DHHS chart of Medicaid-accepting dental providers, 20 dentists in Union County accept Medicaid. 4 of which are not accepting new clients and one dental practice is listed as the health department. There are no orthodontists in Union County accepting Medicaid.
The phone numbers for two dental providers in Swain County were changed or disconnected. There are only 3 dental providers in Swain County. There are no orthodontists in Swain County.
There is only 1 dental provider accepting Medicaid in Pamlico County. According to the DHHS chart, the one dental provider is not accepting new patients. There are no orthodontists in Pamlico County.
Polk County lists 3 dentists accepting Medicaid, but not one of the dentists are accepting new clients. There are no orthodontists in Polk County.
Mitchell County has 4 dental providers acccepting Medicaid. But 3 of those dental practices are not accepting new clients. There are no orthodontists in Mitchell County
In Clay County, the only dental practice accepting Medicaid recipients is the health department.
In Ashe County, there are 3 dentists listed that will accept Medicaid. Only 2 are accepting new clients, one of which is the health department. There are no orthodontists in Ashe County.
In Alamance County, there are 4 dentists listed by DHHS who will accept Medicaid patients. The first one I called (a orthodontist) told me that they accepted Medicaid patients only from certain general dentists. The second one was not accepting new patients. The third one (also an orthodontist) informed me that Medicaid does not cover orthodontia services for Medicaid recipients over 21 (I must sound old!!!) The fourth dental practice’s voicemail informed me that the office is only open Wednesdays and Thursdays for limited times. Of the 4 dental practices accepting Medicaid, 3 were orthodontists, one did not accept new clients. The only general dentist (pediatric) only practiced in the local office two days a week.
Shortage of dentists accepting Medicaid? You decide.
Carolina Access, Medicaid and Health Choice: What Are These Programs and Who Qualifies?
Medicaid, Carolina Access, and Health Choice. Three completely different, and, somewhat, independent programs. What are the differences? Who is eligible for what?
I am reminded of the Monty Hall problem that I learned in a college Statistics class (which, BTW, was my most-hated class in college). The Monty Hall problem is a brainteaser, a hypothetical, statistical mindbender and it goes like this:
Suppose you’re on a game show, and you’re given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what’s behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He then says to you, “Do you want to pick door No. 2?” Is it to your advantage to switch your choice?
I am not alluding that Medicaid, Carolina Access, and Health Choice are the equivalent of picking a prize from behind three doors. Obviously, not. But when you don’t know the difference between the programs or which program could benefit you, it can seem as if you are just picking a prize behind three doors. Or throwing darts at a dartboard of choices. Without information, knowing which program can benefit you can be a mystery.
In this blog, I would like to take the mystique out of Medicaid, Carolina Access and Health Choice. So that you know which program, if any, could be applicable to you, a relative, friend, or, even, a client.
First, door number 1: Medicaid is health insurance for low-income families and individuals who are eligible. Depending on the category for which you are applying, the income cap differs. For a complete rundown of Medicaid eligibility, click here.
Medicaid is a highly regulated program, both federally and on the state level. But no federal statutes speak to how Medicaid recipients can choose their health care physicians or a long-term treatment plan.
Hence, door number 2:
Carolina Access (CA). CA is an option for comprehensive managed care that directs Medicaid recipients to primary-care doctors or clinics that can best serve all their needs. CA helps find Medicaid recipients “health care homes.” With CA, recipients also have 24-hour access to medical advice and emergency treatment.
If you are eligible for Medicaid, you may be eligible for CA, but not always.
CA began as a pilot program within 5 counties in 1991 and went statewide in 1998.
Medicaid recipients are enrolled in CCNC/CA by the Department of Social Services located in the county in which they reside. Enrollment can be done at anytime during the recipient’s eligibility period; however, it is required at application or review for continuation of eligibility. The program aid category of eligibility determines if a recipient is mandatory, optional, or ineligible for enrollment in CCNC. See NC DMA website.
Below is a chart of eligibility for CA:
| MANDATORY | OPTIONAL | INELIGIBLE |
|---|---|---|
| AAF (Work First Family Assistance) | HSF (Medicaid Non-Title IVE Foster Care Children) | MQB (Medicare Qualified Beneficiaries) |
| MAB (Aid to the Blind) | IAS (Medicaid Title IVE Adoption Subsidy Foster Care Children) | MRF (Medicaid for Refugees) |
| MAD (Aid to the Disabled) | MPW (Medicaid for Pregnant Women) | RRF (Refugee Assistance |
| MAF (Medicaid for Families and Children) | MAA (Medicaid for the Aged – over 65 years of age) | SAA (Special Assistance to the Aged) |
| MIC (Medicaid for Infants and Children) | ||
| MSB (Special Assistance to the Blind) | ||
| SAD (Special Assistance to the Disabled) |
According to the December 2013 CCNC/CA Enrollment Report, there were 1.58+ Medicaid enrollees throughout North Carolina. 1.47+ of those Medicaid enrollees were eligible for CA. 1.35+ actually enrolled in CA at a 92% realization rate.
And now we come to Door #3:
Because Medicaid only covers those with low-incomes and many people who are not eligible for Medicaid still cannot afford insurance, NC has created door number three: Health Choice. Health Choice only covers children. Eligibility for Health Choice is defined by NC statute. According to NC Gen. Stat. 108A-70.21, children are eligible for Health Choice if they are:
- Between the ages of 6 through 18;
- Ineligible for Medicaid, Medicare, or other federal government-sponsored health insurance;
- Uninsured;
- Live in a family whose family income is above one hundred thirty-three percent (133%) through two hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty level;
- A resident of this State and eligible under federal law; and
- Someone who has paid the Program enrollment fee required under this Part.
So….there it is….the three programs, Medicaid, Health Choice and Carolina Access, somewhat de-mystified.
I understand that I cannot cover all aspects of all three programs in this blog, but, hopefully, this helps a bit. So it does not feel like you are picking randomly a prize from 3 doors.
