NRHA supports reintroduction of Hospital Payment Fairness Act
The National Rural Health Association is pleased Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) is reintroducing the Hospital Payment Fairness Act with Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) as a push to repeal the piece of the Affordable Care Act that has resulted in a wage increase for all Massachusetts hospital physicians and staff at the detriment of rural hospitals across the nation. The provision required Medicare reimbursements to all providers in a state be higher than the wage at the state’s rural hospitals. Massachusetts has only one “rural” hospital to set that floor, resulting in all wages in the state rising at the expense of other states. The Affordable Care Act establishes a pool of money for which hospital wages can be reimbursed via Medicare. Because of this, an increase for one state decreases the funds available for other states. NRHA supported this legislation when it was previously introduced and will support it again.