U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) continued his drive to ensure affordable, high-quality health care access for Central Valley residents by hosting U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma in Modesto on Nov. 20.
As the highest-ranking official on Medicare and Medicaid, Rep. Denham said, Verma got a firsthand perspective on the state’s “crushing challenges … with doctor shortages and California’s low Medicaid reimbursement rates, coupled with the rising costs of health care.”
While in the area, Verma visited Central Valley Specialty Hospital and participated in a Medicare listening session with AARP and community representatives from the Aging Commission and the retirement community. She also joined in a Medicaid roundtable discussion with local doctors, health care professionals and hospital administrators, gaining valuable input about what is needed at the federal level to effectively address local health care needs.
Coming to Denham’s district, Verma said, opened her eyes to the challenges that many of his constituents face, and she plans to continue “to work with him to ensure that not only his constituents, but all Americans have high quality, sustainable health care.”
Local health care representatives also gained insight during Verma’s visit.
“To be able to engage in an ongoing discussion regarding our nation’s health policy reinforces my faith in the leaders that represent our industry and the people we serve,” said registered nurse Gia Smith, CEO of American Specialty Management Group.
On Capitol Hill, Denham has introduced several bills this year to address health care access.
For instance, the Assessing Critical Care Efforts to Strengthen Services (ACCESS) Act of 2017, H.R. 2779, would put in place a program to field test promising Medicaid reimbursement strategies. California ranks 48th among states for Medicaid reimbursement rates, creating a disincentive for physicians to sign up new Medicaid patients or practice in areas having higher Medicaid-enrollee rates, such as California’s Central Valley, according to Denham’s office.
The bill is especially significant for California because earlier this year Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, attempted to redirect the $1.2 billion newly raised by Proposition 56 into the state’s general fund. Approved by voters last November, Proposition 56 increased California’s cigarette tax by two dollars a pack in order to raise revenue to improve the reimbursement rates for physicians accepting Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. In the end, roughly half of these funds eventually went to Medi-Cal reimbursement rate improvements, which is what California taxpayers originally approved, according to Denham’s office.
Additionally, Denham in July sponsored the CARE Act, H.R. 3451, to further expand the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education programs in rural areas to attract and retain physicians. The bill was included in the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY Kids Act, H.R. 3922.
The CHAMPIONING HEALTHY Kids Act, which the House passed earlier this month, would reauthorize funding for the Community Health Center Fund for two years, extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for five years, and would provide $1 billion in additional Medicaid appropriations to Puerto Rico.