MCO selection My reaction

From Quela Robinson, Staff Attorney with the Center on Law and Poverty:

 

"With today’s news about the MCO selections I checked in with Robert Nelb at CMS, our project officer. He told me that there is not yet a decision on the waiver, but to expect several announcements in that regard “soon”. I asked him whether “soon” means 1 week or 1 month, and he told me he wasn’t able to say. He said that they are still working with the state on several pieces. He also said that HHS Secretary Sebelius is aware of the tribal concerns. So no news for now, but my feeling is that we’ll see something within the next 14 days, and it will be liable to come in as bits and pieces instead of one big final decision.

 

Quela"

 

 

I have to agree with Quela, it is most likely that CMS will be announcing approval of some portions of the Waiver so that the HSD and the MCOs can start outlining the implementation process.

 

I still think that we (Native Americans I/T/U) will still have the ability to negotiate on portions of the Waiver so long as we continue to object.

 

the good news is that now we know who the MCOS are so that we can decide for ourselves who we want to negotiate with, in the event that an Individual Tribe decides to contact with an MCO.

 

Although, I still believe that NA I/T/Us can get a better deal by  managing their own Medicaid program,  Mr. Yepa for Kewa Health Corp. said that NA will make up about one fifth of the Medicaid population in NM.  With $4 billion on the line how much is suppose to go to provide for the Health care of NA individuals and how much will actually go into providing quality health care.

 

Health programs you do the math. one fifth of $4 billion, what could Native programs accomplish with $800,000,000?