Mayor Vincent C. Gray stated that his administration is developing a plan to provide relief to health care providers who face significant losses from the inability of DC Chartered Health Plan (Chartered) to pay its health care claims. Unpaid liabilities could be in the range of $45 to $60 million according to the Receiver, while other estimates reach $85 million.

 

An MCO transition update for providers is available here.

MSDC Presses City to Make Providers Whole 
  In early May, MSDC Executive Vice President K. Edward Shanbacker met with Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services BB Otero and DHCF Director Wayne Turnage and urged the City to find a resolution without delay. The critical piece of advice that Director Turnage emphasized was that physicians need to get all claims as quickly as possible into AmeriHealth, which assumed the DC Chartered Health Plan contract on May 1, 2013, and not wait the 180 days allowed under the contract.
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   MSDC continues to work hard getting the Uniform Electronic Prior Authorization Form Amendment Act of 2013 implemented here in the District of Columbia. We have done our part to testify at a hearing to make this Act a reality and we continue to work hard to get it passed as law. Anyone who has ever dealt with the incredibly difficult task of filing multiple forms for different insurers to get patients approved for the procedures they desperately need knows that this type of legislation will save time and make physicians' and hospitals' work significantly easier.

 

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Editor's Note: The Medical Society plans to testify at a pblic hearing in June on this legislation to voice physician concerns.