Health Equity
Medicaid Enrollment Touches 39% of the Residents of The District of Columbia; DC’s 70/30 FMAP is Vital for the Maintenance of Health & Human Services
A reduction in the District’s FMAP would not lead to long-term government savings and would have a ripple effect throughout the entire health system in the DMV, crippling access to care for not only Medicaid beneficiaries but also all those who live, work, and visit the District of Columbia, including members of Congress and their staffs.
.png?sfvrsn=9ac2d21b_0 "What Medicaid Cuts Actually Cost")
Why does DC receive an Enhanced FMAP Rate?
The DC FMAP rate of 70% established by the Revitalization Act resulted from bipartisan analysis, discussion, and negotiation by Congressional leadership aiming to balance fairness with the District’s restricted ability to generate revenue. Congress recognized that the District of Columbia faces unique financial challenges due to its non-state status and the significant amount of federally-owned land within its boundaries. The District is unable to tax non-residents’ earnings, so these workers pay no taxes to support the infrastructure and services, such as roads, public safety and emergency services that they benefit from in the District. The District is also unable to tax up to 40% of the real property within its borders due to statutory restrictions.
Why are we concerned about DC's FMAP now?
Members of Congress have proposed reducing the DC FMAP to the statutory minimum for all other states, which is currently 50% (but could be reduced even more). Such a change would impact every physician and every practice, regardless of type, location, and payers contracted. Even practices who take no insurance will not be able to send patients for specialist care, hospital admissions, or other types of care.
What can MSDC members do?
- If you know a member of Congress or staffer, reach out to them and share how DC cuts will hurt your patients.
- Share your relationships and outreach with hay@msdc.org so we can help coordinate advocacy efforts.
- Email hay@msdc.org if you would like to be paired with a physician member of Congress office and trained by MSDC staff on how to reach out.
Resources
- DC FMAP cut fact sheet
- California Medical Association fact sheet on Medicaid cuts
- MSDC and healthcare association letter to Congress arguing against DC FMAP changes.
- MSDC original story on Medicaid changes.
News, Statements, and Testimony on Health Equity Issues
FDA Approves First COVID-19 Saliva Test
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the first approval of a saliva test for COVID-19 using its emergency use authorization authority (EUA).
Researchers at Rutgers University (NJ) received the approval for the antigen test. The process will permit patients to spit into a tube multiple times, and the saliva samples can be tested in an approved laboratory. This process has the potential to save essential PPE for healthcare workers as the process has less exposure than the current nasal swab process.
Currently the test is limited to the Rutgers University system. The FDA is also recommending to patients that a negative test result using the antigen method should be confirmed with a second established testing method. This is because the test has about a 15% false negative rating.
Prior to this approval, the FDA had issued EUAs for two types of tests. The first was the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, "a molecular diagnostic testing technique that detects genetic materiel from the virus". The second type of test are serological tests "that look for antibodies to the virus, which can help identify individuals who have developed an adaptive immune response to the virus".
The antigen test approvals comes at the same time some private labs have publicly committed to unveiling at-home tests in the near future. The FDA still encourages antigen testing to be done in a healthcare setting, but further expansion could pave the way for more antigen testing in different locations.
Leave a comment