MSV continues advocacy for Medicaid funding

10 June 2010

This week the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) repeated its call for Congress to pass enhanced Medicaid funding for states, referred to as "FMAP funding."  In Virginia this funding would be used to offset a three percent Medicaid payment cut slated for July 1 and a four percent cut slated for July 1, 2011 that are a part of the commonwealth's two-year budget passed approved by the General Assembly and Gov. Bob McDonnell earlier this spring. Without this federal support, many children, the elderly, expectant mothers and the disabled may not be able to find the care they need.

MSV has asked Virginia's members of Congress for their immediate support for passage of the Medicaid funding for the benefit of the 780,000 Medicaid patients in Virginia. In his letter to the legislators, MSV President Dan Carey, M.D. noted, "These potential Medicaid cuts, coupled with looming cuts to Medicare, the program that provides medical care for our nation's seniors and military families, will force Virginia's physicians to make heart-wrenching decisions regarding whether or not they can continue to see Medicaid and Medicare patients." MSV's letter follows one sent to the congressmen on May 18 on behalf of MSV, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, the Virginia Health Care Association, and the Virginia Dental Association that also called for the extension of Medicaid funding.

In addition to this legislative outreach, hundreds of physicians have already responded to our grassroots action alert to send messages to their representatives and senators. If you have not yet done so, you can e-mail your legislators by clicking here.

Reports from Washington, D.C. indicate that the U.S. Senate may take up legislation this week that includes Medicaid funding for states. Prior to the Congress' week-long Memorial Day recess, leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives chose to strip funding for Medicaid payments to states out of the "extenders" bill that was reauthorizing a number of expiring tax credits and other programs over outcry that the Medicaid payments raised the cost of the bill too much. Similar arguments have been used to forestall a permanent fix to the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula (a 19-month SGR patch is also included in the extenders bill). If the Senate passes the extension of FMAP funding, the House would then have to approve the measure before it could be sent to President Obama for his signature.

In 2009, the federal government included Medicaid funding for states in the federal stimulus bill, which helped the General Assembly avoid having to make cuts to Medicaid last year. Since the recession, Virginia has seen an increase in the number of individuals enrolled in Medicaid. As part of last year's stimulus program, however, Virginia and other states are prohibited from tightening eligibility requirements to reduce expenses.

Click here to read the letter to the Virginia Congressional delegation.

Click here to send a message to your legislators.

Related article:
Medicaid cut places states in budget bind (nytimes.com)