CSMS President Robert Russo, MD has released this statement in response:
These unexpected and unprecedented rescissions to the 2016-2017 Medicaid budget will dramatically reduce access to care for the neediest patients across the state, the nearly one in five Connecticut residents who today rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. It will be more difficult for patients to get preventive care services, which have been proven to reduce health care costs in the long run. It will be more difficult for patients with complex health issues and chronic conditions to get medically-necessary care in a timely manner, which will lead to many more complications and higher costs to Connecticut in the long run. These Medicaid rescissions are short-sighted and threaten the health of our patients.
CSMS physician members are committed to caring for the patients of Connecticut. We strongly urge state leaders to immediately reconsider these rescissions, which raise concerns about the real possibility of spikes in high-cost, inappropriate emergency facility use by patients who had no place else to turn.
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Media Contact:
Kelly Gilbert Raskauskas
CSMS Director of Communications
203-865-0587 x110
kellyr@csms.org
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