Association Issues Statement on Medicaid DSH Cuts Delay

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 -- The America's Essential Hospitals issued the following statement by President and CEO Bruce Siegel on a Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts delay:

"America's Essential Hospitals thanks House and Senate lawmakers for their bipartisan recognition of the harm to patient care and community services that will result from cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments.

"Debate yesterday on bills to extend funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) gives us hope Congress can agree on a two-year delay to the statutorily required DSH cuts.

"We particularly appreciate the efforts of Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) to move their respective chambers toward a two-year DSH cuts delay and consideration of a sustainable, permanent solution to the high costs of uncompensated care. We thank all the House and Senate members who spoke yesterday in favor of a longer delay.

"While we appreciate the one-year delay in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce bill to extend CHIP, we continue to advocate a two-year delay and smaller out-year cuts to provide greater stability for hospitals and more time to find a long-term fix. Staying on a path of one-year delays only will dig the fiscal hole deeper and make finding solutions more difficult.

"We will continue to work with House and Senate members on both sides of the aisle to find an answer to the challenge of uncompensated care and a sustainable future for the safety net."