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Medicaid now accepted at private clinics
With the local hospital swamped with patients affected by Typhoon Soudelor, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. has finally given the go-signal for Medicaid patients to be accepted at private clinics.
Both adults and children are now being accepted at private clinics like Marianas Medical Center, Saipan Health Clinic, and Pacific Medical Center as of Aug. 10.
CHCC made the decision after closing the Family Care Clinic at the Commonwealth Health Center last Aug. 10 so that all personnel from the FCC clinic could be utilized in the hospital to augment the shortage on medical care services.
The Family Care Clinic eventually reopened yesterday.
CHCC chief executive officer Esther Muña said she made the decision to extend Medicaid to private clinics after certifying that the hospital doesn’t have enough physicians to treat patients due to the disaster and the highly needed resources for primary care.
“There is a disaster and there is a need for all resources to be utilized,” Muña said.
Despite running on reserves and awaiting reconnection to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. power grid, the hospital is nearly fully occupied and constantly has more patients visiting CHC.
“Because FCC was very busy, we had to keep it open and there is still a need for more people so Medicaid services is accepted at private clinics and also there is a need for all resources because we are trying to make sure that they don’t return with the same illness and people will have access to primary care,” Muña said.
A Marianas Medical Center staffer has confirmed that they have been accepting Medicaid patients since Monday.
