Feds lift restrictions on Saipan’s Dr. Aldan

The federal government has lifted restrictions on CNMI’s Dr. Vicente Aldan, allowing him now to accept not only Medicaid and Medicare patients but also military veterans and other personnel.

Gov. Juan N. Babauta held a press briefing Friday to announce the federal government’s recent decision on Aldan.

Babauta earlier petitioned the Department of Health and Human Services to grant Aldan a waiver on his exclusion from participation in federal health programs in the CNMI. After a review, the department allowed Aldan in 2003 to accept Medicaid and Medicare patients.

Last year, the governor lobbied the federal agency to expand Aldan’s waiver to include all other health care programs that are applicable in the CNMI, especially those federal health care programs dealing with the U.S. Veterans Administration Tri-Care and CHAMPUS.

Babauta, according to the administration press secretary Pete A. Callaghan, followed up on the issue during his recent trip to Washington D.C.

“He [Dr. Aldan] was restricted before from accepting those federal funds—Medicaid, Medicare and TriCare. The restrictions have been lifted. He could now see Medicaid, Medicare patients, and also active duty and retired military or people who are qualified for TriCare, the military’s health system,” said Callaghan.

Aldan’s exclusion stemmed from an adverse action filed against him during his residency in California several years ago. The legal action had resulted in Aldan having to practice medicine only in the Commonwealth and not participating in federally funded health programs.

Babauta, in his petition letter to DHHS’ Office Health Care Program Exclusions, said that favorable action on Aldan would help alleviate the shortage of physicians in the CNMI.

DHHS earlier noted that the initial granting of the waiver was made primarily due to shortage of physicians in the CNMI. DHHS also said that the waiver only applies in the CNMI.

Reports said that the California Medical Board filed a lawsuit against Aldan in mid 1990s due to the death of a patient that he had treated during his residency in 1992. In 1999, the case was settled out of court without any admission of guilt on his part.

Part of the agreement, though, was for Aldan to surrender his California medical license and not practice medicine in California forever. In 2003, Aldan told the media that he did not realize the implication of the settlement agreement he had signed until later.

Babauta had said that he would not have helped Aldan if it was a case of negligence on the physician’s part. He said he personally read the case. “I want you to know that, had there been truly established, recorded negligence on his part, I don’t think he would have gotten support from anybody,” Babauta said.

Aldan had also credited other CNMI leaders for helping him obtain the waiver.