“The amount BRMC is
reimbursed by Pennsylvania Medicaid is far short of our cost of care. BRMC’s
dental centers lose significant money on every Medicaid patient and a majority
of BRMC’s dental patients are covered by Pennsylvania Medicaid. In 2017 alone the dental centers lost nearly
$300,000. The state’s Medicaid
reimbursement for dental care is out of sync with the cost of care,” said
Dennis McCarthy, spokesperson for BRMC.
McCarthy explained that BRMC’s dental losses have steadily
grown since 2014 after Pennsylvania Medicaid significantly altered
reimbursement. The losses continued
despite improvements in efficiency, searches for grant funding, and bringing in
a consultant to help improve operations.
“It is clear the situation is only getting worse with no end in sight.
Continued losses are unsustainable leaving the hospital with a difficult
decision,” he said.
This is truly a regrettable situation. However, the losses being incurred are not
sustainable and BRMC cannot allow heavy losses in the dental service to place
hospital services at BRMC in jeopardy,” McCarthy said.
He said reimbursement for most dental procedures under
Pennsylvania Medicaid have not increased in 13 years. “Reimbursement in
Pennsylvania has not kept up with the cost of care. We need to be paid for the cost of care,
nothing more. Currently that is not the case in Pennsylvania nor does it appear
it will change anytime soon,” he said.
“Medical services at the Mt. Jewett Health Center are not
affected by this decision. The Mt.
Jewett Health Center will continue to offer a full complement of family care
medical services,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy said the decision to close dental services at BRMC
and Mt. Jewett was carefully considered by the Upper Allegheny Health System
Board of Directors. “In the final
analysis there was no other decision that could have been made,” he said.
In contrast, Upper Allegheny Health System dental services
at Olean General Hospital and its Delevan Health and Dental Center receive
significantly higher reimbursement for dental services under New York
Medicaid. “The Medicaid reimbursement in
New York for dental care is much more generous,” he said.
McCarthy said that health system officials brought this
situation to state representatives. “Sadly,
there is no current fix for the problem coming from Harrisburg.”
“We know the dental service is a community need and dental
health is important. The dental centers at BRMC and Mt. Jewett have more than
8,000 patients and record more than 19,000 patient visits annually. However,
without reimbursement which covers the cost of care it is simply not possible
to sustain the service,” McCarthy said.
The centers employ 12 full time equivalent positions. BRMC
will attempt to place some of the clinical dental staff into Olean General
Hospital’s dental centers and give office staff the opportunity for open jobs
for which they are qualified at BRMC and OGH. “We will do everything we can to
assist these employees in locating employment,” McCarthy said.
The dental centers will assist current patients by providing
a list of dentists within the region.
