Health News
- The School Health Services Gamble: Ky. Health Departments Could Win On The State's Bet Against Kentucky Spirit's Appeal Of Ruling
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News Kentucky?s health departments may soon get money for school nurses, based on a court ruling in May that said Medicaid managed-care firm Kentucky Spirit must pay for treatments provided by the...
- Kentucky Spirit Can't Terminate Its Medicaid Contract With The State A Year Early Without Facing Fines, Judge Rules
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News A Frankfort circuit judge ruled Friday that Kentucky Spirit, one of three companies hired by the state in November 2011 to manage health care for more than 540,000 Medicaid recipients, cannot pull out of its contract...
- Health Departments Raise, Or Try To Raise, Tax Rates To Offset State Cuts, Higher Benefit Costs And Medicaid Payment Problems
Some county health departments are trying, and others may try, to increase property-tax rates to make up for Medicaid shortfalls, program cuts and the rising costs of employee benefits so they can continue providing essential public health services for...
- Republican Legislators Keep Hammering State Officials And Managed-care Companies About Medicaid Payment Delays
Republican lawmakers reitarated this week that the companies managing Medcaid in Kentucky are still not paying health providers promptly. According to Sen. Joe Bowen, R-Owensboro, in the year since the state moved more than a half a million people to...
- Home-health Agency For Madison, Estill And Powell Counties Says It Has To Cut Staff Because Of Issues With Medicaid And Medicare
Declining reimbursements from Medicaid and Medicare are behind the Madison County Health Department's layoff of seven home-health employees last week. Director Nancy Crew said the cuts should not mean a reduction in care but that cuts were being made...
Health News
Among health providers having difficulty with Medicaid managed care, Cumberland Valley District Health Department stands out
The financial struggle that recently led to 14 layoffs and an increase in furlough days for the Cumberland Valley District Health Department continues. Other health departments have reported such difficulties, but it may be one of those hurt most.
With its deficit standing at $503,266, a review of the department?s financial summary from the latter half of last year shows that a large part of the deficit is caused by lack of payments from Kentucky Spirit, a Medicaid managed-care company, according to an article in the Manchester Enterprise.
As recently as September, Kentucky Spirit owed the department over $300,000 for Medicaid services that had been provided. In the December report, Kentucky Spirit had only paid $698 and has since quit cooperating with the state, according to the Enterprise.
Adding to the cash flow problem, another managed-care firm pays a month late, according to department Interim Director Lynett Renner. She said that since 2011, health departments must also pay back to the state a Medicaid match, and are the only health care providers that must do so.
Those factors, she said, are why the layoffs plus an increase in furlough days are necessary. Beginning Jan. 21, employees will be on a 32-hour workweek. In addition to those two money-saving actions, the department has also eliminated two positions, director of nursing and director of environmental services, the Enterprise reports.
"What we do touches the lives of everyone in our country,? said Renner and the district will provide its services however it can.
With its deficit standing at $503,266, a review of the department?s financial summary from the latter half of last year shows that a large part of the deficit is caused by lack of payments from Kentucky Spirit, a Medicaid managed-care company, according to an article in the Manchester Enterprise.
As recently as September, Kentucky Spirit owed the department over $300,000 for Medicaid services that had been provided. In the December report, Kentucky Spirit had only paid $698 and has since quit cooperating with the state, according to the Enterprise.
Adding to the cash flow problem, another managed-care firm pays a month late, according to department Interim Director Lynett Renner. She said that since 2011, health departments must also pay back to the state a Medicaid match, and are the only health care providers that must do so.
Those factors, she said, are why the layoffs plus an increase in furlough days are necessary. Beginning Jan. 21, employees will be on a 32-hour workweek. In addition to those two money-saving actions, the department has also eliminated two positions, director of nursing and director of environmental services, the Enterprise reports.
"What we do touches the lives of everyone in our country,? said Renner and the district will provide its services however it can.
- The School Health Services Gamble: Ky. Health Departments Could Win On The State's Bet Against Kentucky Spirit's Appeal Of Ruling
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News Kentucky?s health departments may soon get money for school nurses, based on a court ruling in May that said Medicaid managed-care firm Kentucky Spirit must pay for treatments provided by the...
- Kentucky Spirit Can't Terminate Its Medicaid Contract With The State A Year Early Without Facing Fines, Judge Rules
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News A Frankfort circuit judge ruled Friday that Kentucky Spirit, one of three companies hired by the state in November 2011 to manage health care for more than 540,000 Medicaid recipients, cannot pull out of its contract...
- Health Departments Raise, Or Try To Raise, Tax Rates To Offset State Cuts, Higher Benefit Costs And Medicaid Payment Problems
Some county health departments are trying, and others may try, to increase property-tax rates to make up for Medicaid shortfalls, program cuts and the rising costs of employee benefits so they can continue providing essential public health services for...
- Republican Legislators Keep Hammering State Officials And Managed-care Companies About Medicaid Payment Delays
Republican lawmakers reitarated this week that the companies managing Medcaid in Kentucky are still not paying health providers promptly. According to Sen. Joe Bowen, R-Owensboro, in the year since the state moved more than a half a million people to...
- Home-health Agency For Madison, Estill And Powell Counties Says It Has To Cut Staff Because Of Issues With Medicaid And Medicare
Declining reimbursements from Medicaid and Medicare are behind the Madison County Health Department's layoff of seven home-health employees last week. Director Nancy Crew said the cuts should not mean a reduction in care but that cuts were being made...