KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar BluffMissouri Medicaid Cuts

Missouri Medicaid Cuts

Missouri Medicaid Cuts

Missouri Medicaid cuts are hitting a lot of people hard.  Medicaid patients say they will no longer be able to afford things they need like medications, at home caregivers, and repairs to their wheelchairs.  It’s not just Medicaid recipients who are feeling the brunt of these cuts though.  These cuts have a trickle down effect, hitting doctors’ offices that rely heavily on Medicaid recipients.  One Heartland medical center will probably have to cut certain services for its Medicaid patients soon.

Crissy Warren, the chief operating officer forCross Trails Medical Center says, “About 43 percent of our patient population is Medicaid.”  Medicaid patients bring in a lot of money to Cross Trails Medical Center.  “Having patients on Medicaid you have a payer source.  As patients come to us, we will get reimbursement from Medicaid,” Warren says.  Some of that money might be going away soon.  Warren says they’ve had a few meetings to talk about how they’re going to deal with Medicaid cuts.  She just found out the adult Medicaid dental program will probably be eliminated.  80 percent of the dental patients at Cross Trails are on Medicaid.  Carol Ann Cardwell is going to be hurt if the adult dental program goes away.  She’s been coming to Cross Trails for several years.  “I cannot, would not have access to dental care.  Before Cross Trails had dental care, I hadn't had dental care in 10 years,” Cardwell says.

Medicaid patients may be forced to pay for their services by themselves or use a sliding fee, which is based on your income and the number of people in your family.  Regardless of what they use to pay their bill, Warren says Cross Trails is a federally qualified health center and its patients won’t be turned away.  “They’re still going to be our patients,” Warren says.  “They’re our patients now with the Medicaid card and when they lose it they’re still going to be our patient.”

Even though Medicaid brings in a lot of money to Cross Trails Medical Center, Warren says she doesn’t expect any lay-offs in the three Cross Trails offices which are in Cape Girardeau, Marble Hill, and Advance.