Alabama’s federal lawmakers discussed the state’s health care system, rural hospitals and agricultural issues Saturday (Aug. 9) at the Business Council of Alabama’s annual Government Affairs Conference.
During the congressional panel, members of the delegation talked about the importance of having access to health care in light of President Donald Trump’s new budget law that cuts Medicaid spending. Much of the conversation centered on supporting rural hospitals.
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“I don’t care if your name is Saban or Tuberville, you cannot close a recruiting pitch to a resident, to a company, to a retiree, to an industry when that pitch begins with ‘we don’t have a hospital,’ and so this is a significant issue,” Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, said to hundreds of elected officials and business and association leaders attending the conference.
$50 billion for rural hospitals
The Republicans on the panel highlighted how the new GOP-led law includes a $50 billion fund to support rural hospitals, which will be spread across states over the next five years. Lawmakers added that provision into the bill before it became law to offset the Medicaid cuts that could harm rural hospitals, since a disproportionate share of Medicaid spending happens at rural hospitals.
“That $500 million investment in rural health care will be a game changer for the state of Alabama,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said during the panel. “We’ve seen the struggles that we’ve had in every corner of our state.”
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, echoed that sentiment.
“We’ve got to help…these facilities stay alive, but this bill goes a long way to do that,” he said. “I mean, it’s just a lot of money.”
Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, said he’s working to address disparities in the wage index and its impacts on rural hospitals. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services uses the wage index to determine Medicare payment rates for hospitals based on regional differences in labor costs.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alex Angle and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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