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
MSDC Welcomes New Dialysis Unit Located in Ward 8
On May 18, MSDC joined Councilmember Trayon White and members of the healthcare community in celebrating the opening of a new in-home dialysis unit in Ward 8. The facility is located at BridgePoint Sub-Acute & Rehabilitation National Harborside at 4601 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SW. Both MSDC and BridgePoint Healthcare are members of the Ward 8 Health Council, which works to improve health outcomes in Ward 8.
The National Harborside location is, according to BridgePoint, the only skilled nursing facility in the Washington, DC area with the ability to provide in-home dialysis to its ventilator dependent residents. This is beneficial given that approximately 48,600 people (or 8.6% of the adult population) in the District of Columbia are diagnosed with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.
The new facility will be fully operational in June 2023 and will support health equity for the residents of DC by providing care to more patients close to home. Previously ventilator dependent patients had to transfer out of the District for those services.
“Providing dialysis services to patients recovering from a significant illness who are on mechanical ventilation will offer the residents a choice to stay closer to home,” said Marc C. Ferrell, president and chief executive officer of BridgePoint Healthcare. For more information, see www.bridgepointhealthcare.com.
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