Mayo drops Medicaid service for Nebraska, Montana
Mayo Clinic says it will stop serving Medicaid patients from Nebraska and Montana because of low government reimbursement rates.
The Post-Bulletin of Rochester reports the change will take effect Jan. 1.
Mayo currently takes Medicaid patients from those two states plus Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and North and South Dakota. Spokeswoman Shelly Plutowski says there's no plan to change that.
Plutowski says because of the low reimbursement rates, the clinic is spending more to treat those patients than it's getting back.
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She says Mayo wants the health care system changed to something that rewards providers for keeping patients the healthiest.
The clinic has requested disenrollment from Nebraska's and Montana's Medicaid programs.
Nebraska Medicaid director Vivian Chaumont told an Omaha TV station that she was surprised by the clinic's decision, and said she learned of it after receiving a letter from Mayo Clinic last week.
Mayo says about 50 patients will be affected by canceling contracts with Montana and Nebraska. Plutowski says it's more appropriate for patients in those states to be seen in their own regions.
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Information from: Post-Bulletin, http://www.postbulletin.com, and from: KETV-TV, http://www.ketv.com