Since approval was given by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services for American Samoa to send patients for off island treatment paid for by Medicaid, 14 patients have been sent to New Zealand for treatment.
According to LBJ CEO Faumuina John Faumuina, the hospital’s off island medical referral program had actually referred to the local Medicaid Office a total of 19 patients since CMS approval in November of last year.
Faumuina says some of the referrals were transported by air ambulance from NZ, and by Samoa Air charter flights for stretcher cases to Faleolo awaiting Air New Zealand flights.
Otherwise patients just take the regular flights through Faleolo airport.
The LBJ CEO says the process begins with the Off-Island Medical Referral (OIMR) Committee of LBJ. ‘
This committee is made up of all chiefs of medical services departments of the LBJ Hospital.
To begin the process:
– the primary physician or the attending physician must have a complete and thorough assessment and evaluation of his/her patient.
– the attending physician in consultation with the chief of his/her service department then presents the patient’s case at the next regular OIMR committee meeting.
– the Off island Medical Referral Committee hears and reviews the patient’s case and votes on it.
It is the OIMR committee that approves or denies the referral.
Once approved, the OIMR Coordinator will complete all required documents and forward them to the Medicaid office for travel to NZ.
Faumuina says LBJ’s involvement stops when the case is forwarded to the Medicaid office.
The Medicaid office is responsible for all travel arrangements and medical costs.
Faumuina explained that the referral program to NZ applies only to US Nationals and US Citizens.
