Increasing Access of Patients with Medicaid to Medical & Surgical Specialty Care
MEDCHI, THE MARYLAND STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY
HOUSE OF DELEGATES
INTRODUCED BY: Montgomery County Medical Society
SUBJECT: Increasing Access of Patients with Medicaid to Medical & Surgical Specialty Care
REFERRED TO:
________________________________________________________________
- Whereas, MedChi has successfully advocated for increasing access to care for patients with
- Medicaid coverage for primary care through increasing payment for Evaluation & Management
- codes; and
- Whereas, the number of primary care physicians participating in the Medicaid program has
- increased significantly from the increase in Medicaid E&M codes equivalent or almost equivalent
- to Medicare; and
- Whereas, the challenge for patients with Medicaid coverage who have a primary care physician is
- the inability to get medical and surgical specialty care because these payments are significantly
- lower than Medicare; and
- Whereas, patients with Medicaid coverage who have severe chronic and life-threatening conditions
- cannot be adequately treated without the expertise of medical and surgical specialists, therefore be
- it
- RESOLVED, that MedChi, in order to increase patient access to medical and surgical specialists to
- address severe chronic and life-threatening medical conditions, work with the Maryland Secretary
- of Health to increase the Medicaid fee schedule for medical and surgical care to be equivalent to the
- Medicare fee schedule.