Physicians To Get Two-Year Boost in Compensation for Seeing Medicaid Patients

Which is nice, but doesn't make the program more attractive to new docs or financially viable

Primary care physicians across the nation and in Florida are set to get more money for treating low-income patients on Medicaid as part of the federal healthcare overhaul law, but even though the increases went into effect at the first of the year, that doesn't mean those payments will start flowing immediately.

Under the federal healthcare law, the reimbursement rate would almost double what primary care physicians currently receive. Dr. Louis St. Petery heads the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He says he believes the pay increase will encourage more doctors to see Medicaid patients, but there's a catch:

"Florida Medicaid is not prepared to pay the increase rate, and may have to pay retroactively. That may delay how quickly physicians are willing to sign up more Medicaid patients."