FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement attributable to:
Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH
President and CEO
America’s Essential Hospitals
WASHINGTON — The nation’s more than 300 essential hospitals thank House leaders and members for voting to avert the imminent and deeply damaging $4 billion cut to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments.
With the reprieve the continuing resolution would afford, Congress and essential hospitals can continue working toward sustainable support for hospitals that commit to serving disadvantaged people and communities where homelessness, hunger, and other social and economic factors threaten health.
The House has demonstrated strong bipartisan support for the idea that DSH cuts cannot be justified in the face of a growing numbers of uninsured and persistently high uncompensated care costs. Democrats and Republicans on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have approved repealing $16 billion of the DSH cuts over the next three years, and we remain strongly behind this measure as a critical first step toward long-term relief.
America’s Essential Hospitals calls on senators to join their House colleagues in delaying DSH cuts as part of the continuing resolution and working with essential hospitals to ensure access to high-quality care for all people.
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About America’s Essential Hospitals
America’s Essential Hospitals is the leading champion for hospitals and health systems dedicated to high-quality care for all, including the most vulnerable. We support our more than 300 members with advocacy, policy development, research, and education. Communities depend on essential hospitals to provide specialized, lifesaving services; train the health care workforce; advance public health and health equity; and coordinate care. Essential hospitals innovate and adapt to lead the way to more effective and efficient care. Learn more at essentialhospitals.org.
Contact:
Carl Graziano
cgraziano@essentialhospitals.org
202.585.0102
