SANTA FE – Companies that offer behavioral health care to Medicaid patients will not face cuts in rate payments from the New Mexico Human Services Department.
Reductions would have been implemented Jan. 1 as a result of a state budget signed by Gov. Susana Martinez. Medicaid has faced cuts since drops in oil and gas revenue removed millions from the state budget.
Officials last spring wanted to save $30 million in Medicaid costs. That $30 million reduction would have led to the loss of $110 million in matching federal funds. It’s unknown whether the $30 million was made up elsewhere.
James Dumesnil accepts Medicaid coverage for clinical counseling in Taos. He would have been paid $18.82 less for an hour-long session with a Medicaid patient if the cuts had gone into effect. He said staying at $76.31 is still much less than the $120 per hour that some private insurance plans will cover. He said Medicaid previously paid as much as $90 for those sessions.
“Hopefully, we can make a living being reimbursed at that rate consistently,” Dumesnil said.
