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
When Your Next Physician License Will Expire
MSDC has an important update to its June 18, 2024 article. We are pleased to share that DC Health’s change in license term does not change the expiration date for physician licenses currently expiring on December 31, 2024. Instead, it applies to the upcoming renewal period.
Here is what you need to know:
- If your physician license is currently set to expire on December 31, 2024, that does not change for 2024. The expiration date for licenses issued/renewed before June 16, 2024 is not changing retroactively.
- Starting with the upcoming renewal period, which will open in October 2024, physician licenses will no longer expire at the same time. Instead, licenses will transition to a rolling expiration format based on licensee birth month and birth year.
DC Health will be sending important updates on license renewal in the coming months. Make sure that your email and contact information are current in DC Health’s portal so that you can be sure to receive relevant communications.
In the interim, below is guidance from DC Health:
“All applicable licenses, certificates, or registrations issued on or after June 16, 2024, will expire on the last day of the birth month of the license holder. Additionally, applicants born in even-numbered years will receive even-numbered expiration years while applicants born in odd-numbered years will receive odd-numbered expiration years.
This applies to future expiration dates and does not retroactively impact current license expiration.
After the renewal period starts: Someone born in August in an even numbered year will have an expiration date of August 31, 2026. Someone born in August in an odd numbered year will have an expiration date of August 31, 2027.”
Date of Birth Date of Renewal License Expiration Date
August 10, 1972 October 5, 2024 August 31, 2026
August 10, 1975 October 6, 2024 August 31, 2027
In addition to DC Health’s guidance above, below is a primer to calculate future expiration date and year:
“All applicable licenses, certificates, or registrations issued on or after June 16, 2024, will expire on the last day of the birth month of the license holder”
| Licensee birthdate | License expiration day and month | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| e.g. Birthdate of April 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, or 22 | Last day of the birth month (e.g. April 30 for all April birthdays) | All licensees born in the same month will expire on the last day of the month. However, the year will vary as described below. |
| e.g. Birthdate of October 3, 7, 10, 18, 25 | Last day of the birth month (e.g. October 31 for all October birthdays) | |
| “Applicants born in even-numbered years will receive even-numbered expiration years while applicants born in odd-numbered years will receive odd-numbered expiration years.” | ||
| Licensee birth year | License expiration year | Comment |
| Even birth year (e.g. 1962, 1974, 1986) | Even expiration year (2026; thereafter, 2028, etc.) | For this cycle only, the license term will be less than 2 years. |
| Odd birth year (e.g. 1961, 1973, 1985) | Odd expiration year (2027; thereafter, 2029, 2031, etc.) | For this cycle only, the license term will be more than 2 years, but less than 3 years. |
MSDC is a resource for physicians licensed in the District of Columbia. Below are CE requirements for physician (MD/DO) licensure in the District of Columbia:
- Fifty (50) hours of CE every two (2) years, which includes
- two (2) hours in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency
- five (5) hours in a topic designated as a public health priority (see below), and
- at least one (1) course in the subject of pharmacology.
Public Health Priorities - The most recent list of topics identified by the Director of the Department of Health appear in a list HERE.
MSDC offers courses through a partnership with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine HERE. Some of these programs may comply with the public health priority requirement.