Trenton, NJ – Doctors who care for poor children in New Jersey are getting their first increase in Medicaid rates in two decades, with reimbursements more than tripling.
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That should make it easier for poor families to find doctors and other health care providers willing to treat patients under age 21. For years, the very low reimbursement rates of the state-federal health program discouraged providers from taking on low-income patients.
As of Jan. 1, physicians who were getting $23.03 from Medicaid for each child’s
office visit will be paid $73.70; dentists will see payments jump from $18.02 per exam to $64.
“It’s a big step toward providing more access for our clients,” said New Jersey
Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez. “These new rates will benefit existing Medicaid providers” and help the Human Services Department attract new providers.
The increases are possible because Gov. Jon Corzine last summer set aside an extra $10 million in state funds for Medicaid reimbursements for pediatric health care providers, for the calendar year 2008; that will be matched by $10 million in federal funds, according to the department.
More than 1 million New Jersey residents, including 576,000 children, receive
services through Medicaid. [ap]