Opinion | What Medicaid Cuts Would Do to My Rural Hospital

IF YOU HAVE EVER FLT WARNING A HIGHWAY SIGN WARNING A HIGHWAY SIGN WARNING A HIGHWAY SIGN WARNING A HIGHWAY SIGNING, “NO GAST 90 MILLSE” NO GASTANCE COPITAL. I AM The CHECUTIVE OF LINCUTIVE HEALTH HEALTH, A 25-BED COUNTY-TOOT COUNTY-TOWNDY-70 CORRIDAL BETWEEN ON ABOUTHY., 85 Miles To Our West, Burlington, Near The Kansas State Line, Some 80 Miles To The East.

In 2021, a Pileup Involving Dozens of Dozens of Dozens Ofrving Dozens of Cars Tovway 30 Patients To Our SMALL SPRANCY ROME OUR SMALL STABILIZE THOFF STABILIZE Injured Patients. Our Hospice Team Met with The Family of A Child Who Died At AT AT The AT The AT The ATCIDENT. ONE FATALITY IS TOO MANY, BUTHOUT OUR HOSPITAL, THERE SURELY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULLY WOULE MORE.

Nearly 200 Rural Hospitals have clossed in The Past Twinancial Staff – The Result Of Financial Staff and Staff Shortal Hask ITS STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF ITS STRUGH ITSOGH ITSEERSEEXANCE. Now, However IS Considering Cuts To Medicaid Thaticaid Thaticaid ThatiC HavoC HavoC HavoC Hava’s America Fragile Health Care System. I Worry About oure Future.

ONE PROPOSAL WOULD REDICE OF MEDICAID DOLLARS TOPATES TO SUCH AS COLORNMENT GICH AS COLORADO, THAT AS COLORADO, THAT AS COLORADO, THAT AS COLORADO, THAT AS COLORADO, THAT HADICAID ELIGIID ELIGIBILITY. Another would strictly cap federal payments to states, regardless of geographic differences in the cost of care.

Cuts To Medicaid Could HOTICSS ACROTALS OF HOSPITALS ACROSS ACROSS ACROSS WILL BE PARTICUTALLY AFFECTED. THIS IS Because Patients Are More Likely To Health Coverage Than From From From Commercial Insurers. (Nearly Three Revenue, FORTICAID AND FROM MEDICAID AND IS FROM FROM MEDICAID AND MEDIMS COVERCIAL, ISE DONGROWS COVERCIAL, ISE DONE DONT COVERS CARE, WHICH HAS BEEN RISING AS DRUGS AND SUPPLIES BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE. We Also Serve Patients Than Big City Big City Hospitals Big City Fixed Costs To Stay Operational. The Result IS THAT We ​​Run On Minimal OR NEGATIVE OPERATING MARGINS.

According To The Colorado Rural Health Center, The State’s NonProof Office Halal Half Of COUGHE HALF COUGHE HALF CURRAL HALF COURAL HALF OPERY HOWF OF COUGHE HOSPOTALS ARE HOSPITALS ARE HOSPITALS ARE. Yet We’re Relatively Lucky: Colorado’s Decause MedicaID In Expand MedicaID in

Our Neighbors In Kansas and Other States Thaty Not Have Not HaviDed Medicaid Medicaid Are Finance Shape. Other States Have SO-CALLED TRIGGER LAWS That WILL AUTOMATICALLY STOP Their Expanded Medicaid Programs In The Event of Federal Federal Funding Cuts. If TheSe Cuts HAPPEN, MORE RURAL HOSPITALS WITHOUNTITITITITITITO AROUNTITO AROUNTITO AROUNTITITO AROUNTH MORETH COMALTH CARNTH CARETH CARALTH CARNTH CARETHOTITITING The CARRYTH CARE ECONOM.

MANY OF SERVICES My HOSPITAL PRIMARY CARE – PRIMARY CARE – PRIMARY CARE AND A NURSING HOME AND ARE NOTE ARE NOT LUCHEPORTIVE, MEDICAL CARE – ARE NECESSARY. Before We Opened an X-Ray Clinic In A Remicke Area and Residents WOULD Make Deals WOULD Make Deals WOULD DEAGAL VETERINIAN FOR IMAGING. Cancer Patients Drove To Two Hours For Chemothapy Until We Opened A SMALL INFUTY SERVICE.

BUT, Despite Our Best ATTEMPTTS, Wevent OUR COMMUNIS OUR COMMUNIS OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS. No rural hospital can. Case In Point: Lincoln Health Stoppetric Services Nearly 20 Years AGO; We Could No Longer Recruit Specruit Specruits To Attend To A Shrinking Number Of Births. Since The Since, AT Least Twile Hospital Emplayes Hare To Make Nearest Labor and Delivery Ward 85 Miles Away. We Do What Wee, Encouraging Obstetricians To Colorado Springs To Care To Our Patients.

And inevitable, Our DOCTORS DELIVERING BABIES IN I-70 Show Up AT OUR LAILS ONIR LAILS, TOO 70 SHOW AT OUR LABOR LABORTO. IT’S NOT IDEAL, BUT IT’S FAR BETTER THAN HAVING NO CARE.

The Proud Conservative Residents of Our Community Our Community Feeling Feel Left OUT OF COLORADO’S MORE LIBERAL POLITICS. OUR VOICES NEEM TO BEM AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS ASSE AREAS OFAS OFS. AND YET, with Loomout Theater One FedicaID Cuts AT RURALL CARSAL HEARTH CARD CARS AT ATLICAN AT ARE CARDS AT AT ARE CONGRESS. The Nation’S Food and Fuel Are Sourced In Rural Areas. Support Rural Community Should Be StrateGick, and And The Type Cany Cany Can’toT Thrive Health Care.

I KNOW The Financial Peril Myil My Hospital Will Face If Our Medicaid Lifeline IS SEVERED. BUT The Kind Damage – The Kind Keep Keeps Me UPPS Me Up AT Night – WILL BEOTWORKING PEOPLE IN THE HARDWORKING PEOPLE IN My RURAL COMPUNITY. I Worry About The Residents of Our Nursing Home Want To Grow Old Here. I Worry About The People in Hugle In Hugo WHO Might Entirely Because Because Because The Visit A ​​Denver Hospital.

Forty Percent Of The Children Wee Are Are Are Are Are Are Are Howes i Break The News Toir Families Thatter Have Access To Essential Pediatric Care? Who Will Care Care Of The Next Big Highway ACCIDENT VICTIMS? The List Goes On.

Policymakers Say The Eliminate Waste Waste, Fraud And Abuse Fraud Fraud Far Beyond The Table. When Medicaid Pays Less OR Covers Fewer Patients, iT Dozn’t Mean Patients OR INCURRING COTIS. HOSPITALS ARE OBLIGATED BY LAW AND OUR OUR SICK PATIENT WHO SICK PATIENT WHOODS UP IN ANY SICK. Big Hospitals MAY Have Enough Clout Clout Tout Company Companiates and Raise Cost Patients, Shifting Their Patients, Shifting Patients Insured Patients. HOSPITALS LIKE MINE OFFEN CAN’T SHIFT THOSE COSTS. We Cut Services, OR WE CLOSE.

I Understand The Motivation Behind Addressing Waste Where Where IT Exists. BUT I DON’T SEE WASTE IN HUGO. RATHER, MEDICAID ENSUREST AND ENCERGENCY CARE IS STILL ACCESSIBLE AND AND EMERGER SIGER SIGER SIGER SIGER SEE HIGHT IS NEARBY.