Opinion: Aetna’s behavior is unacceptable

www.salinapost.com/2019/08/23/opinion-aetnas-behavior-is-unacceptable/

In the state of Kansas, the media has quietly reported about issues with Aetna Better Health of Kansas. Aetna BH is a Kansas Medicaid Contractor with a $1 billion a year contract. They serve approximately 100,000 Kansans.

Since 7/1/2019, all payments have ceased for many local providers. This includes behavioral health providers as well as medical. Long story short, Aetna can’t get their stuff together and providers are not being paid for services rendered. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment gave notice to Aetna at the end of July that they had 10 days to get their act together. Aetna did submit a plan, which KDHE shot down as not good enough. I have yet to hear a new plan or a deadline.

I am one of those providers in Salina. To put it in perspective, consider your monthly income being cut in 1/2, but you still put in the hours of work. Imagine being told day in and day out the issues are “escalated” and “we are trying to fix this.” I hear it every day, “we cannot tell you when you will get paid.” I, like most other providers, have done nothing wrong and essentially are working for free due to inefficient, incompetent, and unknowledgeable staff and leadership at Aetna that our tax dollars fund. Why is this important and how does it impact me? You are paying into the funds that in turn pay me. You continue to pay into that fund, but no money is paid out. So where is the money? We aren’t talking just a few dollars. My clinic has not been paid thousands, nearing the $10,000 mark.

There has been such an encouragement for mental health care over the last few years and this is fabulous. Along with the push for better access to mental health care comes the challenge of finding providers that accept Medicaid. If this situation continues, many Medicaid providers will likely be forced to close their doors or will stop accepting Medicaid period. My specialty is victims of severe trauma, foster children, and early childhood. They deserve the best care possible, and I am one of those experienced, educated, and skilled clinicians able to treat these patients. But not free. At the end of the day, I am running a business that has expenses. I’d also like to be able to take care of my family.

You can help by contacting our local representatives Randall Hardy and Diana Diercks. Tell them this is unacceptable and that you support the local Medicaid providers. You can call KDHE and the Governor’s office to also offer support. Perhaps with a united effort, providers will be rewarded for their tireless work.

Filed under: General Problems