Feds Help States Qualify For More Medicaid Dollars
The Obama administration on Friday on how they can increase their Medicaid funding by eliminating copays for certain preventive services, including聽immunizations.
The provision of the Affordable Care Act was slated to聽take effect Jan. 1. States that implement the changes can apply for the funding retroactive to that date.
The specified preventive services are by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, as well as the administration of vaccines .
The Medicaid program is administered by the states but partially funded by the federal government. States can apply for the聽1 percentage point increase in their federal Medicaid matching聽rate for those preventive services.
Tennessee Medicaid Director Darin Gordon said his state intends to apply for the extra funding, but he estimates it will be a relatively small amount: less than $100,000 per year. Most states Medicaid budgets are in the billions of dollars.