(By Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)Our rural hospitals are in a crisis. This isn't a new problem, but the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly made it worse.
For years, healthcare costs have gone up while Medicare reimbursement rates have gone down. That's turned the screws on hospitals everywhere. However, it's been a particular problem for rural America—where folks are much more likely to rely on Medicare.
Facing tighter budgets, rural hospitals have been faced with few good choices. They have to cut costs, find more money, or go bankrupt. Sadly, many have nothing left to cut, no way to find new revenue, and have been forced to close. Since 2005, more than 170 rural hospitals have closed their doors.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only added to the problem. Many rural hospitals were forced to suspend or reduce the number of elective procedures performed. Since that's where many make their money, it's made things even more difficult. Today, 453 rural hospitals are currently operating at levels similar to those that have shut their doors over the last decade.
Something has got to give. We must make real reforms before it's too late. That's why I've partnered with my Democrat colleague from California, Rep. Jared Huffman, to introduce the Save America's Rural Hospitals Act, which would reverse falling Medicare reimbursement rates that have driven many rural hospitals to the brink.
It permanently ends Medicare sequestration cuts for small hospitals serving our rural communities—giving them the certainty they need to move forward. It also fully funds rural ambulance services to ensure our ambulance districts are being fairly reimbursed for their services. And, it makes enhanced rural telehealth services for rural health clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers permanent—allowing more folks in rural America to access healthcare from home.
All these changes will help put our rural hospitals back on track. That's more important now than ever. We have to protect our rural hospitals. The best way we can do that is by giving them more certainty and reversing years of dangerous cuts. Our small hospitals are a vital lifeline for rural America. I'm going to keep working to make sure they can keep their doors open and keep serving the folks in rural America who depend on them.
4 comments:
It's probably a good thing the Republicans failed at ending Obamacare.
Right?
Suppose Missouri actually had Medicare Expansion in operation.
How many of the 275,000 Missourians who would have health coverage are rural Missourians who currently have extreme difficulty paying hospital bills?
See what the Missouri Republican Party consistently does?
Pay lip service to doing something postitive, then spend their time preventing real solutions to real problems while breaking things which aren't yet broken.
Of course the Missouri Republican Party is just like all the rest of the Repubican Party. So don't think Sam Graves and Billy Long are something special. Though many will admit that Ben Baker is indeed a precious something something.
@11:23 PM: Obamacare provides access to medical insurance, often with very high deductibles, which is not the same as providing real healthcare. The Medicaid expansions might hurt rural hospitals more than they help because that state-Federal "partnership" is so stingy in reimbursements.
How do the uninsured pay their bills?
'Quick let's set up a Go Fund Me?'
'Lets raffle off a shotgun and a quarter of beef down at the next church dinner.'
' Would they let us have a donation jar at the Cracker Barrel or do we need to do it the convenience stores?'
Or people with no insurance just don't pay their hospital bills?
"In 2019, hospitals provided $1.7 billion in total uncompensated care, an
increase of $200 million from 2018. More than 85% of this year-to-year
growth in uncompensated care was provided as charity care. In 2019,
hospitals’ bad debt increased by nearly $34 million." https://www.mhanet.com/mhaimages/CommunityBenefit/2021/2021_%20CIS_handout.pdf
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