The California Medical Association is asking federal Medicaid authorities to review whether the state pays enough to guarantee adequate access to care for patients who rely on the Medi-Cal program. The CMA is relying on a federal law that says Medi-Cal should pay health providers enough to ensure care is available to program beneficiaries at the level of their privately insured peers. The move relies on an obscure law that allows Medicaid authorities to impose conditions on or possibly cut off funding to states that run a noncompliant program. It also comes after the doctors group and others released the results of a survey [PDF] last week showing that Medi-Cal patients are four times more likely than privately insured patients to be turned down by a doctor who does not take their insurance.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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