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.
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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
Report: Digital Medical Experience For Patients a Major Determinant in Booking an Appointment
A new report by Press Ganey suggests that the same digital preferences people show for consumer brands extends to medical offices as well.
In their new report, Consumer Experience Trends in Healthcare 2021, the authors argue, "[t]he 'patient experience' can no longer be defined by the clinical care setting alone'. Using a survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults, the report includes some surprising numbers:
- Patients rely on digital resources 2.2 times more than provider referrals when choosing a healthcare provider.
- 84% of respondents would not see a referred provider if their online rating was under 4 stars.
- On average, consumers use three different websites and read 5.5 reviews before deciding on an appointment with a provider.
Digging deeper into the report reveals some interesting data that should push physicians to think hard about their digital presence:
- The most common online resource for researching a healthcare provider is a search engine (65.4%) followed by an insurance website (45.4%). The top website used in a provider search is Google (78.1%).
- 54.4% of respondents said the process of finding and choosing a provider is "somewhat" to "very" difficult.
- The number one reason given for a patient giving a 5-star hospital review (besides excellent care) is "quality of customer service", which includes demeanor and attentiveness of provider and staff. Beside manner was fourth (albeit within 7% of the number one answer).
- The top reasons patients do not book with an office are "difficulty in contacting an office" and "poor quality of reviews".
You can read the entire report here.
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