Medicaid Restricts Hospital Time

A small number of states are restricting Medicaid’s hospital coverage.  This action hopes to decrease Medicaid’s rising expenses.  Hawaii is looking to limit hospital time to less than 10 days yearly on the coverage in April 2012.

Activists and hospital personnel say restricting Medicaid will limit accessibility to patient care.  It will also cause hospitals to occur more expenses, and also become costly for people with personal insurance.  Patients might also postpone looking for services if the Medicaid restriction is reached the groups stated.

State representatives disagree with this viewpoint.  They see the Medicaid action as a way to assist in making budgets more equal.  They also feel it will be a start to ending federal stimulus funding.

 

This is just one idea being activated to regulate Medicaid expenses.  Ideas like this were discussed regarding Medicaid because of more people on the insurance and increased medical expenses.  Total spending on the insurance was expected to increase by 11% in 2011 according to the National Association of Budget Offices.

Medicaid techniques:  http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2011/10/24/states-limit-medicaid-hospital/14299/