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DHH looking to cut Medicaid coverage
By BRETT TROXLER
13 December 2004
btroxler@wbrz.com
2theadvocate.com staff
From a report by WBRZ's Marvin McGraw
In the midst of a billion-dollar budget shortfall, state health officials are looking to cut back on waste and unnecessary medical spending.
The Department Health and Hospitals plans to cut back on procedures and drugs for which there is no medical necessity. The move would eliminate Medicaid coverage for things like circumcisions routinely done soon after birth. Such a procedure can cost more than $70 and is not considered a medical necessity.
"The American Academy of Pediatrics looks at this periodically. They've put out a statement that says they don't recommend that you cover this routinely," said Dr. Fred Cerise of DHH.
Prescription drugs for erectile
dysfunction would also be cut back under the proposed plan.
The state had already put a limit of six pills per month on drugs
like Viagra, but the new plan
would lower it to only one per month.
DHH officials said there are about 75,000 male Medicaid recipients over 21 in Louisiana who are eligible to receive Viagra. Cutting the amount to one pill a month could save taxpayers $1.5 million, officials said.
As reported Dec. 13 on WBRZ's 6 p.m. broadcast. If you have information or comments related to this story, e-mail them to news@wbrz.com.
source :-http://www.2theadvocate.com
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