Higher Medicaid fees can’t fix pay gaps, say Georgia doctors

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue's proposed budget for fiscal 2009 would increase the fees that the state pays doctors for treating poor and disabled patients in the Medicaid program. Hospitals, home health agencies and nursing homes also would get a rate increase, which would extend to Peachcare, a second government program. But physicians and hospitals say it won't be nearly enough to erase their losses. Lingering pay gaps also may make it harder to find doctors who will accept new patients covered by Medicaid and PeachCare, which together cover 1.4 million Georgians.