WASHINGTON D.C. - After hearing from several rural Oklahoma ambulance service providers and state health officials last month about their concerns with Medicare and Medicaid intermediary TrailBlazer Health Enterprises LLC, U.S. Congressman Dan Boren hosted a meeting today with ambulance operators, physicians, and other health care providers along with officials from both TrailBlazer and the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS).
Boren pledged last month to investigate issues raised by the health care providers including claim processing delays, claim reimbursement penalties, and poor customer service. Many health officials assert these problems could result in rural ambulance providers shutting down, and thereby cause the loss of critical emergency health services for thousands of rural Oklahomans.
“I am pleased we could bring all parties together for constructive dialogue and to begin addressing the issues facing our rural ambulance operators, as well as physicians and health care providers. The priority for everyone involved is to ensure that these critical, life-saving services are preserved in rural Oklahoma,” Boren said. “The meeting today was a positive step in that direction. However, we must continue to work toward a stable environment for these health care providers so rural Oklahomans can continue to rely on access to quality health care.”
At today’s meeting, TrailBlazer and CMS officials provided health care officials with information and training on the latest and best procedures for claims processing in an effort to address possible claims delays or penalties in the future.
“I would like to thank Congressman Boren for taking on this issue, for always going to bat for Oklahoma’s health care providers, and for advocating on behalf of greater access to health care for rural Oklahomans,” said Dr. Jay Gregory, a Muskogee area physician. “I am hopeful that today’s meeting will help begin to address many of our concerns. At the end of the day, keeping all health services open and viable is the most important goal in front of us.”
According to state health care officials, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements provide approximately 50 to 70 percent of a local ambulance service’s income depending on the location. Many rural health care providers operate on very tight budgets to perform their critical services, and any unnecessary delay in claim reimbursements or resulting claim penalties have a significant negative impact on their operating budgets.
Customer service managers from TrailBlazer were also available to address issues raised by rural health care providers regarding customer service problems and the accessibility of TrailBlazer officials. In addition, many service providers assert that clerical delays also create problems for claims reimbursement timetables which in some cases result in unnecessary claim reimbursement penalties.
####
