Sen. Schumer tours center, pushes MDH and LVH legislation
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) advocated for legislation to extend the Low Volume Hospital adjustment program while touring Adirondack Health's Wound and Hyperbaric Treatment Center in Saranac Lake, N.Y. last week. Sen. Schumer is sponsoring bill S. 2620, the Rural Hospital Access Act of 2012, which will extend both the Low Volume Hospital adjustment (LVH) provision and the Medicare Dependent Hospital (MDH) program. If congressional action is not taken by Oct. 1, millions of dollars in reimbursements to Medicare Dependent Hospitals (MDHs) and Low Volume Hospitals (LVHs) will be lost, hospital services will be reduced, and rural hospital doors will close. "Basically it would put our health care providers in a sling as they try to treat patients," Sen. Schumer told the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. "It just doesn't make any sense to cut off this [LVH] program." Adirondack Health CEO Chandler Ralph also told the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, "I think rural hospitals like ours cannot take that large of a hit without having to look at other services we might have to discontinue in order to make up for that loss. That's really the threat if we don't get it." NRHA applauds Sen. Schumer and supports S. 2620 and H.R. 5943, the Rural Hospital Access Act of 2012. For more information on the MDH and LVH designations click here. To read the full article, “Schumer trying to keep break for rural hospitals,” click here.