Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar held a virtual roundtable today on primary care, telehealth, and immunizations, and L.A. Care’s Chief Medical Officer was among the panelists providing on the ground insight and expertise. Richard Seidman, MD, MPH, advocated for an extension of the relaxation of the regulatory requirements on telehealth beyond the pandemic and for a national vaccine program that would provide free vaccines to all Medicaid and uninsured individuals. Seidman also had an important message about Medicaid funding.
Dr. Seidman took the opportunity to reiterate L.A. Care’s request that Congress include new Medicaid funding in the next COVID-19 relief package. L.A. Care has been leading a push for Congress to act on Medicaid funding since the pandemic began, reminding lawmakers that they took similar action after the 2008 financial crisis. Without Congressional action, states will likely have to cut Medicaid benefits or place limitations on who is eligible for coverage.
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a financial strain on many health care practices and facilities. Dr. Seidman outlined the various ways that L.A. Care has supported its providers during the pandemic, including accelerated payments to hospitals and advanced incentive payments to physicians. In addition, L.A. Care has provided a number of grants to community organizations that are helping Angelenos get through this health crisis, whether they need PPE to work with individuals experiencing homelessness or are providing legal help to prevent eviction.