The FMA Speaks Out Against the Abolishment of Medipass.Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2001 On Wednesday, February 14, 2001, FMA FMA Full Metal Alchemist (gaming) FMA Federal Marriage Amendment FMA Financial Market Authority (Austrian: Österreichische Finanzmarktaufsicht) FMA Financial Management Association President Terence P. McCoy testified on behalf of the Florida Medical Association to the House Health and Human Services Noun 1. Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Appropriations Committee In the United States government, the Appropriations Committee can refer to either:
The MediPass system was created by the legislature in 1996. As of December 15, 2000 there were 600,944 patients enrolled in MediPass and 490,758 enrolled with a Medicaid HMO HMO health maintenance organization. HMO n. A corporation that is financed by insurance premiums and has member physicians and professional staff who provide curative and preventive medicine within certain financial, . Year after year, in the Agency for Health Care Administration's own reports to the Health Care Financing Administration Health Care Financing Administration, n.pr department in the U.S. agency of Health and Human Services responsible for the oversight of the Medicaid and Medicare benefit programs, including guidelines, payment, and coverage policies. , it has been shown that MediPass is an overwhelming favorite of patients and doctors who provide the care. MediPass has contained costs, eliminated unnecessary procedures and provides accessible, quality medical care to over 600,000 patients. MediPass' growth is attributable to patient preference and lack of HMO participation in rural areas. If MediPass is discontinued dis·con·tin·ue v. dis·con·tin·ued, dis·con·tin·u·ing, dis·con·tin·ues v.tr. 1. To stop doing or providing (something); end or abandon: as a choice, these patients may not be able to continue to see their family physician. MediPass has constructed a customized network of specialty physicians to treat these patients. Many of these physicians do not and will not participate in a Medicaid HMO. Dr. McCoy stated, "this is not a doctor issue; it's a patient issue. The doctors I know who take care of Medicaid patients are passionate about caring for their patients. This is the single program in Medicaid shown to work. I can't contemplate why anyone would do away with the one thing that works." The FMA is not alone. Many other organizations also oppose legislation to do away with MediPass such as the Florida Hospital Association and the Florida Academy of Family Physicians The Florida Academy of Family Physicians (FAFP) is Florida's only professional association solely representing the family physician. This organization is composed of more than 4,000 family medicine physicians, residents and medical students from across the state. . |
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