Budget cuts affect two MA safety-net hospitals

According to an article published in last Friday's Boston Globe, Boston Medical Center and Cambridge Health Alliance will lose more than $100 million combined due to budget cuts by the state of Massachusetts. Boston Medical, which won't be reimbursed for care to low-income Medicaid patients from the last fiscal year, loses out on $64 million. Cambridge Health Alliance was expecting $40 million in state funding.

What does this mean for the two hospitals? In the case of Boston Medical, it means they will cut services. Among services currently on the chopping block are interpreters, transportation to the facility, and asthma, diabetes or primary care--all for low-income patients. As for Cambridge Health Alliance, it already was reported that for the fiscal year that ended June 30, the hospital was on it's way to losses of $26 million.

Juan Martinez, a spokesman for Governor Deval Patrick (who, with the cuts, is attempting to close a $1.1 billion budget gap), said that the cuts "allowed us to preserve all currently funded MassHealth populations and services. We understand the important role these hospitals play and remain committed to supporting them as best we can through this difficult economic time for everyone."

For more on the budget cuts in MA:
- here's the Boston Globe article [1]

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