HHC monitors potential delay of Medicaid payments

Claremore Daily Progress (OK)

June 24--Hospitals throughout the state may be facing the possibility of delayed Medicaid payments due to the lack of federal funds, according to the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority.

The Authority estimates there is a $35 million shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year.

The uncertainty with funding makes it difficult for hospitals to make projections, which could impact local hospitals.

"Hospital operations will likely be impacted, but exactly how and when, has yet to be determined. The state budget crisis, coupled with the ambiguity around the future of the Affordable Care Act, is concerning for our hospital and the entire Oklahoma health care industry," Hillcrest Hospital Claremore CEO David Chaussard said.

But, being a part of a bigger healthcare system provides more insulation than other regional and rural hospitals, he mentioned.

As a precaution, hospital officials are monitoring the issue closely and will make preparations as needed to ease any impact to the hospital's employees and patients.

"However, our hospital is still very sensitive to any cuts or delays in Medicaid provider reimbursements, and we are doing everything we can to advocate for increased revenue measures and overall, a better budget solution to lessen the impact to Medicaid provider reimbursement and access to health care," Chaussard said.

Approximately 12.5 percent of HHC's inpatient net revenue and 9.3 percent of outpatient net revenue comes from Medicaid.

Given that percentage, "It's very important for our hospital -- and the greater Claremore community to have a stable and sustained Medicaid program," he emphasized.

HHC is expected to provide the same level of services and access to health care for Medicare and Medicaid patients, yet receive less payment for those services from state and federal agencies, he said.

"It's a difficult position to be in when we are here to provide high-quality care to our patients -- and they deserve that," Chaussard added.

The hospital will do everything they can to minimize the effects to HHC employees and patients, he said, including those with Medicaid.

"Patient safety will never be compromised, but we will have to evaluate the operations of our hospitals and implement creative solutions to ease any negative impact. Unfortunately, we have had to make similar difficult decisions over the past several years with decreased funding from Oklahoma and the federal government."

Chaussard said the hospital is very active in advocating at the state and federal levels through their membership with the Oklahoma Hospital Association.

"We try to speak with one voice on health care issues so that our message is loud and clear. We routinely call on our employees to contact their legislators to show support (or opposition) for various health care issues and legislation," he said.

Recently, HHC officials asked their employees to call their U.S. Senator to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) the "right" way, by working together to find a solution that preserves affordable access to health care for everyone -- including older Oklahomans, lower-income individuals, and those who have pre-existing conditions.

In order for the Authority to make up for the loss of federal funds the state would need to increase funding by $69 million. The Authority's final budget for fiscal year 2017-2018 will be voted on next week, according to their website.

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