NRHA disappointed by Obama’s budget
The National Rural Health Association is disappointed with the president's budget that again calls for cuts to critical access hospitals (CAH). Obama’s 2016 budget proposal announced yesterday includes both a cut in cost-based reimbursement and the elimination of federally designated CAH status if another facility is less than 10 miles away. “This budget policy is short-sighted and will cause further access to care concerns for rural patients,” says NRHA’s Maggie Elehwany. “Rural hospitals already operate at the narrowest of financial margins, and 41% already operate at a loss.” Sequestration, DSH, bed-debt and other types of cuts have already hit rural hospitals hard. Forty-seven rural hospitals have closed since 2010. And 283 more are on the verge of closure. If this occurs, 700,000 rural patients will be without access to their closest point of emergency care. “We hope President Obama will recognize the importance of critical access hospitals and stop calling for cuts to these vital facilities,” Elehwany says. NRHA is also disappointed that the president again has zeroed out funding for Area Health Education Centers, which provide valuable recruitment and training for quality medical staff to stay in or transfer to rural areas. More than 90 percent of the rural counties in this nation are designated health professional shortage areas. “AHECs do much to improve workforce shortages where the need is the greatest: in rural America,” Elehwany adds. She’ll further discuss the president’s budget and NRHA’s congressional asks tomorrow as part of NRHA’s 26th annual Rural Health Policy Institute, which has brought a record 430 advocates to DC this week and is preparing them for meetings with elected officials on Capitol Hill tomorrow afternoon.