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Medicaid provider rejects Ohio Valley

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By Kelly Mori, Staff Writer Updated 5:45 PM Wednesday, December 2, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — Ohio Valley Medical Center has been denied the ability to provide care to some of the area’s Medicaid recipients.

Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc. notified the surgical hospital on Dec. 1, that it is not interested in seeking a contract with it.

“Currently Molina members’ needs are being met with the existing network of providers in the Springfield area,” Molina director Dan Okonak stated in an e-mail to Ohio Valley’s administrator Steve Eisentrager. “Therefore, we will not be offering participation to Ohio Valley (Medical Center) at this time.”

The rejection letter has hospital officials perplexed and frustrated, if not outright angry, said Dr. Richard Nedelman, one of Ohio Valley’s 37 surgeon-investors.

“Medicaid patients, self-pay patients and well-insured patients should have choice and access to quality health-care providers,” Nedelman said. “Molina is obstructing our ability to care for these patients.”

Ohio Valley, since its inception, planned to serve Medicaid patients, despite accusations that they would only take well-insured patients, Nedelman said.

Ohio Valley entered a contract with another Medicaid provider, CareSource, earlier this year, which Eisentrager said makes Molina’s rejection even more puzzling.

Molina did not return calls from the News-Sun asking for comment, however Eisentrager said Okonak called him late Tuesday, Dec. 1, saying Molina could reconsider, depending on how many complaints it received from its members.

In addition to CareSource, Ohio Valley has contracted with United Healthcare and is in negotiations with Anthem, Aetna and Medical Mutual, Eisentrager said.

“We’re hoping to get this resolved so everyone in the area can have access to our services,” he said. .

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0347 or kmori@coxohio.com.

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Leave it to the liberals to let Government control everything. Good job Obama

Jim
3:15 PM, 12/3/2009

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People should have the right to choose where they want to get their surgery done BUT maybe Molina knows that Needleman is surgery happy and charges ALOT along with his fellow investers....just some food for thought!

missing organs
10:53 AM, 12/3/2009

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