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IS Medicaid A Fit for You?
There are holders of Full Medicaid and QMB who "feel insecure out
there" searching for a Medicaid-enrolled provider.
In the last few weeks I have found help in the search for
a Medicaid-enrolled provider. Call
the New York State Department of Health Help Line at 1-800-541-2831 to
request a list of Medicaid enrolled doctors in a particular specialty
in your county. Identify the
list as a Medicaid Provider Address Lookup. You will need to contact the
providers to inquire whether they are accepting Medicare/Medicaid
patients.
There are other provider possibilities: clinic of a
well-known hospital (possibly a teaching hospital in a larger
metropolitan center) or an HMO.
There is also a very small group which wants maximum choice. Notwithstanding the fact that their
Medicaid (Full or QMB) does not include payments for non-Medicaid- enrolled
doctors, they will choose the non-Medicaid-enrolled physicians, if they
feel they are the most appropriate for their needs. I find that their group of physicians
also usually includes one or more Medicaid-enrolled providers. However, I suspect the clients may be
delaying or skipping visits to doctors they must pay the Medicare
deductible or co-insurance. In this type of situation I suggest to the
individual who has Full Medicaid coverage that we attempt to apply for
Medicaid payment of premiums for a Medigap policy. Medicaid will pay if
we can prove to them that it will be cost-effective for them to do so.
Another group of Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries, who
would be logical candidates for Medicaid payment of their Medigap
premiums, are those who have recently qualified for Medicaid and are
now having difficulty paying for a Medigap insurance policy purchased
years ago. They deprive themselves of necessities to pay the premiums,
but usually are forced to drop the policy eventually. These persons
don't apply because they don't know about this benefit.
Updated: January 2, 2007
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