Almost 400,000 Texans’ insurance at risk after Congress fails to renew CHIP
Insurance coverage for more than 390,000 Texas children and pregnant women is in jeopardy after Congress failed to renew authorization for a federal program. Congressional authorization for the Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides low-cost health insurance for children from low- and middle-income families, expired Sept. 30. Without federal funding, Texas has enough money for CHIP to last until February 2018, according to estimates by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. However, federal lawmakers say they're working on a plan to continue the program before funding runs out for Texas. "States don't want to have to disenroll their kids," said Maureen Hensley-Quinn, senior program director at the National Academy for State Health Policy, a non-partisan group … Read More...
Texas Health and Human Services Losing Executive Staff
According to a story in today's Texas Tribune, a large number of experienced executive staff of Texas Health and Human Services have exited the mega-agency due to conflicts with current Executive Commissioner Charles Smith. So far, these include, according to the Tribune, Jami Snyder, chief deputy director of the state’s Medicaid program, Gary Jessee, the former medical and social services … [Read More...]
Orthodontic Providers Get Their Day in Front of the Texas Supreme Court
Today, the Texas Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments from orthodontic providers regarding the dentists’ counterclaims in the pending State vs. dentists vs. TMHP/Xerox cases. The general facts of the underlying dispute about orthodontic prior authorization have been well-covered in the press, but the status of the various appeals that have resulted from the cases was less … [Read More...]
Xerox Goes After Dentists to the Texas Supreme Court
As a heads up for dentists across the state, it appears there is a long shot possibility that something still might come home to roost for those that billed Texas Medicaid for orthodontic treatments to children from 2004 to 2012. Xerox wants to include dentists in lawsuit The Texas Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments from Xerox, the state's disgraced former Medicaid claims … [Read More...]
UPDATED: Medicaid Dental Rates to be “Slashed”
UPDATE: September 1, HHS announced this morning that it has put on hold the proposed rate changes per legislative sources. Original story: August 1, 2017 TDMR has received a copy of an email from the Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry asking members to contact Texas Health and Human Services over a proposed decrease in Medicaid dental rates. They warn in the email that "many very critically … [Read More...]
“Abuse by Xerox” Echoed at Legislative Hearing on Medicaid Reimbursement Rates
On August 9, the House Committee on Human Services held a public hearing. Part of the agenda was to hear testimony relating to the proposed dental Medicaid reimbursement rate cuts for many necessary codes that have been called "devastating" by the Texas Dental Association. Testifying on the subject were Dr. Paul Kennedy, Dr. Adam Lalonde and Dr. Chad Evans. The three basically told the committee … [Read More...]
TDA Issues Call to Action on “Devastating” Medicaid Dental Cuts
From the Texas Dental Association: ATTENTION TDA MEMBER MEDICAID DENTISTS: CALL TO ACTION Texas Health and Human Services … Read More...
TDA Representatives to Meet with HHS on Medicaid Dental Cutbacks
From the Texas Dental Association: As a part of ongoing efforts to prevent potentially devastating “rebalancing” of Medicaid dental fees, the Texas Dental Association (TDA) will meet with Health and … Read More...
Texas Dental Association Strongly Opposes Medicaid Dental Rate Adjustments
TDMR has received a statement from the Texas Dental Association about its position on the proposed upcoming cuts to dental reimbursement rates for Medicaid providers. Statement from TDA President … Read More...
The Truth Finally Comes Out…
The Statesman published a landmark article this morning by reporter Eric Dexheimer regarding the great Texas orthodontic debacle. Story finally pieced together Thanks to the state's fraud suit … Read More...
Some Problems with New Dental Anesthesia Requirements Surface
A dentist recently contacted TDMR with a problem that his practice, a group practice, has come across with the new requirements for placing Medicaid children under general anesthesia. Difficulty … Read More...
HHSC Inspector General Office Finds Former Inspector General Doug Wilson’s Wife in Conflict of Interest
In a blast from the past, former Health and Human Services Inspector General Doug Wilson and his wife are in the news again. Resigned on Friday Frianita Wilson resigned last Friday from Child … Read More...
Texas Has Spent Over 50,000 Lawyer Hours So Far on Xerox Case
Back in October 2015, TDMR filed an open records request with the Office of the Attorney General seeking to find out how much legal manpower had been used to pursue questionable Medicaid cases against … Read More...
