by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - It was back in September when Governor Eddie Calvo announced that the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services agreed to expand services to the Philippines and other areas outside the United States pending an amendment to the Guam Medicaid Program State Plan.

According to Public Health director Jim Gillan, the State Plan amendment was completed and sent to CMS on October 3 and should take 90 days from receipt to hear on confirmation of approval.

He does tell KUAM News that in principle, the agreement has been approved and is confident it will go through successfully. He adds there is still a matter of visiting the qualified facilities and negotiating fees and a work in process.

The conditions under which Medicaid services may be covered include emergency or medically-necessary services not available on Guam, the out-of-country provider must be the nearest sources of care, foreign providers must be JACHO-certified; and foreign providers must have a signed agreement with the