Evidently, the rumor mill has run quite rappid in the last few weeks, so for those that are interested, here are the FACTS. We have not closed our doors, filed bankruptcy, lost our license, had the state close our doors, or have had anything of that nature happen to our business. Here are the FACTS: In January of this year, the state of Kansas handed over all Medicaid services to three private insurance companies, United Health Care, Sunflower Health Care and Amerigroup Healthcare. Medicaid providers were first informed last year when all of this was being implemented that there would not be any changes and that we “might” get a raise in reimbursement, something we haven’t had in 5 years…and by the way, reimbursement for Home Health Services for Medicaid is anywhere from $13.15 to $13.50 an hour. By the end of January, there were already talks of cutting some patient’s hours and by the middle of February, this came to be. It was a very big and tough decision to make…but we had to look out for ourselves too, so by April 1st we no longer were providing Medicaid services through Home Health. We decided to continue with the Non-emergent Transportation because that was the one thing that the state did not mess with. We have been doing the transportation for 3 years and have never had a raise for that either. Even when the price of gas goes up to almost 4 bucks a gallon, we are reimbursed the same rate. We are not the only ones to have this happen. The hospitals, Care Homes and any other Medicaid provider have felt the crunch of these changes. Unfortunately, unlike these bigger entities, we were not able to absorb the financial ramifications. We were not making any money, barely breaking even, but I felt that I needed to provide services for this group of people because after all that is what we are here for. Nevertheless, I could not provide services and end up in the red every month either. Therefore, that is why the decision was made to stop providing services through Medicaid. I am working 3 days a week outside of the agency because I have bills to pay too. We still provide services through private pay, the Veterans Administration and private insurance and WE ARE STILL providing transportation services. I hope this clears up the rumors..and satisfies the curiosity of those that “need to know”. I am somewhat upset that people felt the need to start these rumors in the first place, because I have worked very hard in the last 6 years to try and help as many people as I could, both patients and employees. Patients by taking as good of care of them as I could and employees by giving them a job, loaning money, hell I’ve even bailed a couple out of jail!! Well, anyway, I have moved on..but felt as though after the 100th time that I heard..”I heard the state closed you down” I needed to defend myself.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 15:37:56 +0000
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