The American Hospital Association is pushing for a two-year delay in the long-dreaded cuts in Medicare and Medicaid disproportionate share payments, reported AHA News Now.
The AHA supports companion legislation to a current bill that would soften the cuts but not delay them. The companion bill would delay the enactment of DSH payment cuts by two years.
Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized a rule that would cut the DSH program by $18.1 billion between now and 2020, including more than $1 billion over the next couple of years. However, the cuts are being made in a discriminating manner; hospitals in areas with large numbers of uninsured would experience smaller cuts than other facilities. The cuts were enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act.
"The coverage expansion (under the ACA) is just beginning and hospitals will continue to care for a large number of uninsured patients," AHA Executive Vice President Rick Pollack said. "Delaying the DSH cuts will help ensure that hospitals that serve high volumes of uninsured patients can continue to provide needed services to their communities."
To learn more:
- read the AHA News Now article
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