The Director of the American Samoa Medicaid Office says some may think that he LBJ hospital can bill Medicaid for any health services that the medical facility provides.
Sandra King Young explained at a press conference yesterday that the Medicaid State Plan for American Samoa specifies allowable costs.
She said since taking over the office in 2013, they have been successful in making a few changes to the state plan.
For example, whereas the LBJ Hospital used to be the only Medicaid provider, the Department of health is now a provider as well.
This means that DOH will also be able to bill for Medicaid covered patients.
In addition Medicaid will reimburse for medical costs of off island medical referral patients at any US hospital as well as in New Zealand.
The Medicaid director says American Samoa’s Medicaid State Plan is unique among states and territories in that it is based on presumptive eligibility.
King Young says when the Lolo Lemanu administration came into office, there was an effort to change the plan to allow individual enrollment. But they discovered going this route would have reduced funding for LBJ.
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