221 House members urge Congress to delay Medicaid DSH cuts

Two hundred twenty-one members of the House of Representatives today urged congressional leaders to delay for at least two more years cuts to hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of Medicaid and uninsured patients. “Should Congress fail to delay the cuts scheduled to begin on Oct. 1, safety net hospitals will face a financial shortfall of $2 billion in [fiscal year] 2018,” the representatives wrote. “…Our nation’s hospitals cannot sustain losses of this magnitude. Institutions will be forced to shutter, leaving our constituents without a safety net. We ask that you work swiftly to delay these cuts for at least two fiscal years, through 2020, or until a more sustainable, permanent solution is reached.” AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels said, “The Medicaid DSH program provides financial assistance to hospitals that care for our nation’s most vulnerable populations – the poor, children, the disabled, and the elderly. The AHA remains committed to working with Congress to continue to stop the Medicaid DSH cuts, and we thank Representatives Engel, Culberson, and Palazzo for leading this bipartisan effort to postpone the cuts for at least an additional two years.”