Dual-eligible dilemma

Texas physicians are feeling the pinch of a decision Texas lawmakers made last year to drastically cut what the state will pay for "dual-eligible" patients - those who are old enough to qualify for Medicare and whose income qualifies them for Medicaid. On top of those cuts, a glitch in the computer systems that are supposed to communicate claims data between Medicare and the Medicaid program meant that thousands of claims for which Medicaid should have paid at least a portion of the bill were returned with zero payment. Texas Health and Human Services Commission officials say the computer glitch is resolved, but Texas Medical Association officials and physicians in the Rio Grande Valley say the damage may already be done.