FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement attributable to:
Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH
President and CEO
America’s Essential Hospitals
WASHINGTON — We support the goals of the Build Back Better Act to expand access to health care coverage and strengthen our health care workforce, but we cannot accept the damaging cuts this legislation would make to funding for hospitals that care for low-income patients and underserved communities.
Essential hospitals likely would not benefit from expanded marketplace coverage in states that opted against Medicaid expansion. Yet, these hospitals, which care for the people this bill seeks to help, would bear the brunt of deep cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital funding and other safety net support. The legislation also would fail to deliver much-needed infrastructure funding for these hospitals, putting them at even greater risk.
We welcome provisions in the Build Back Better Act to build a more resilient and robust health care workforce and to improve maternal and child health. The proposed increases in graduate medical education slots and support for nursing would help our nation and hospitals recover from the detrimental effects of the pandemic on the health care workforce.
The Build Back Better Act has the potential to help many people who face barriers to affordable health care and to repair a health care system weakened by the pandemic. We urge lawmakers to reject cuts in the bill that would undermine progress toward those goals.
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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
