FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement attributable to:
Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH
President and CEO
America’s Essential Hospitals
WASHINGTON — We thank House lawmakers for their bipartisan leadership today to protect patients, communities, and our nation’s safety net with legislation, the Supporting Safety Net Hospitals Act, that would avert disastrous cuts to essential hospitals.
With their bill to eliminate $16 billion in cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments, Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), and Michael Burgess (R-Texas) would protect access to care across our nation. These planned cuts — two-thirds of all federal DSH dollars in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 — would destabilize hospitals and local economies and threaten the well-being of millions of people.
Essential hospitals rely on DSH. Without this vital support, the average essential hospital would operate in the red. We must stop these cuts and, instead, consider ways to ensure federal safety net support reaches hospitals that care for low-income and marginalized populations.
We strongly urge all House members to safeguard health care access and lifesaving community services for all people by supporting this important legislation.
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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.
Contact:
Carl Graziano
cgraziano@essentialhospitals.org
202.585.0102
