Illinois Governor Pat Quinn wants to reduce the cost of the state's Medicaid health care system for the poor.
Doctors who agree to treat Medicaid patients will get paid less for doing it under one scenario Quinn is considering. It deals with something called "the reimbursement rate." For example, a dentist might get about $75 for filling a cavity for someone with private insurance. But for a Medicaid patient, the dentist only receives about $30 from the state.
But doctors say they can't handle a big cut. Wayne Polek is President of the Illinois State Medical Society. He says if Governor Quinn reduces rates any further, fewer doctors will agree to take Medicaid patients. Polek says if the reimbursement for Medicaid is less than what it takes for doctors to provide that service it winds up really being charity care and there's only so much charity care you can do to keep your doors open.
Cutting Medicaid rates is one idea Quinn is exploring as he prepares for his state budget address on Feb. 22.
