Tuesday, August 25, 2009
By ANTHONY A. MESTAS
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
August 25, 2009 12:03 am
WALSENBURG - U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet met with doctors, nurses and administrators at three Southern Colorado health care facilities Monday to discuss rural health care and to hear concerns and problems facing small facilities.
In Walsenburg and other rural areas across the nation some people who can afford doctors often can't find them and others are too poor to afford care. It's a problem that took up most of the hourlong discussion at Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center.
Bennet heard from about 20 medical personnel, physicians and nurses that the problem was at times overwhelming.
He started his trip Monday morning making stops at the Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center and the Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home, which are located on the hospital campus three miles west of Walsenburg.
He then traveled to Westcliffe to meet with doctors at the Custer County Medical Center.
The sweep through Southern Colorado was part of the senator's tour over Congress' August break.
“In Colorado’s rural areas, doctors and nurses do everything they can to make sure their patients get the best care possible. As we talk about health care reform, we need to make sure they have a voice in the debate and that any reform makes sense for rural Colorado," Bennet said in a statement released Monday afternoon.
Dr. David Zehring, chairman of the hospital district board in Walsenburg, said that financial viability is a large problem in Huerfano County.
"Huerfano County is one of the poorest counties in the state per capita by income. We have a large number of people with no insurance and a large number of people covered by Medicare, which ordinarily does not cover the cost of rendering patient's care," Zehring explained.
"Nevertheless, unlike primary care practices in more affluent communities like Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Denver and even Pueblo, our physicians can't turn anyone away based on their ability to pay. We are a special district hospital therefore we are mandated and we are happy to take care of everyone who comes to us with medical problems."
Zehring, who is not currently a practicing physician, said that the rule results frequently in the hospital's inability to get paid for treatment, "the main struggle that rural health care deals with on a daily basis."
He said that he and others would support an adjustment of the reimbursement schedule for Medicare and Medicaid.
"That adjustment would increase reimbursement for primary care and balance that with a reduction in payment for some of the medical and surgical specialties that frequently receive sometimes 10 times as much on a per-hour basis for their services than primary care does."
Zehring, who spent his career in Seattle, said rural medicine also confronts a difficulty in recruiting primary care physicians, many of whom "don't see themselves living in a small town" and even if they do, cannot make a living.
Dr. Michael Moll, a Walsenburg hospital physician, said that he thought the meeting showed the problems on Colorado's rural medical front.
He said that primary care has been undermined by health insurance companies denying payment for services to physicians and hospitals.
"Private practice primary care can no longer survive with the payer-mix population that exists in rural Colorado, Moll said.
Moll, who has been a Walsenburg physician for the past 12 years, said the few instances he sees that this works is when doctors can go to a big city and "cherry pick" their insurance companies.
Bennet addressed the need to improve access to care in rural areas, the shortage of primary care physicians and other health care providers and the need to improve the use of clinical preventive services.
He also talked about the Bennet-Roberts amendment to the budget resolution, which ensures that health reform increases funding to fix access problems in rural communities, including access to primary care and outpatient services, hospitals and an adequate supply of providers in the work force.
Additionally, Bennet co-sponsored the Murkowski-Murray amendment to the budget resolution, increasing funding by $100 million for the National Health Service Corps program, which supplies primary care and mental health providers to rural and medically underserved communities through scholarship and loan repayment assistance. Bennet also co-sponsored the Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act, which would provide much needed improvements to Medicare reimbursements for rural providers.
Zehring said that he and others who attended the meeting Monday were happy with Bennet's efforts.
"He was very open and he asked excellent questions and I felt like he was genuinely interested in what we had to say," Zehring said.
anthonym@chieftain.com
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Why Rural America Needs Health Care Reform
Why Rural America Needs Health Reform
Rural Problem: Rural Americans are uninsured and underinsured at higher rates than their urban counterparts.
• In the smallest and most remote rural areas, the uninsured rate is 23% compared to an urban rate of 19%.
• A greater proportion of self-employed workers living in rural, areas are uninsured (40%), compared to self-employed workers in urban (32%) areas.
Health Reform Solution: Health reform legislation will improve accessibility and affordability of health coverage for all rural Americans.
• Provisions for the guaranteed issue and renewability of coverage and the prohibition of pre-existing condition exclusions will ensure that insurance coverage is available to all Americans, even if they are already sick.
• Provisions to control insurance companies’ rating practices, prohibit annual or lifetime limits on benefits and place a cap on consumer cost sharing will keep health costs under control for rural Americans.
Rural Problem: Rural Americans are sicker, with higher rates of chronic disease.
• Conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, chronic bronchitis, stroke and arthritis are more prevalent among rural populations than urban. Some of these conditions are also risk factors for other diseases.
Health Reform Solution: Health reform legislation improves primary care and preventive measures.
• Provisions to prohibit cost-sharing for preventive services will encourage individuals to seek care early for better treatment of their conditions.
Rural Problem: Rural America is already experiencing a health care workforce crisis.
• Less than 10% of physicians serve 25% of the country’s population.
• When more individuals have health insurance and are able to afford health care, the strain on the existing providers will be even greater.
Health Reform Solution: Health reform legislation will develop a robust rural health care workforce.
• A strong investment in the National Health Service Corps provides additional funding for scholarships and loan repayments for medical students who choose to practice in underserved areas.
• Changes to Medicare Graduate Medical Education funding can influence residents’ future career choices. Exposure to rural areas during residency is significant predictor for future rural practice.
• Increased support for Title VII and VIII workforce programs is an investment in the long term health of the rural provider pipeline.
Rural Problem: Rural hospitals and providers struggle financially because of inequitable Medicare reimbursement rates, low patient volumes and other reasons.
• The average payment per discharge for rural hospitals in FY 2009 was $7,432; for urban hospitals the average payment per discharge for the same time period was $10,274.
• Some categories of rural hospitals receive special Medicare reimbursement to protect them from financial losses as a result of serving Medicare patients and help them remain in business, serving the community.
Health Reform Solution: Health reform legislation is an opportunity to improve rural Medicare reimbursement rates and strengthen rural safety net providers.
• A number of changes are necessary to ensure that provisions that help rural providers continue to do so and that new provisions are created to better the system.
• For more information on specific rural Medicare provisions needed in health reform, please visit http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/go/left/policy-and-advocacy/health-reform or contact the NRHA Government Affairs Office at 202-639-0550.
Rural America needs health reform. These solutions or variations for rural America are included in a health reform bill currently in Congress. Congress must ensure that health reform works for rural America. For more information about why health reform is important for rural, please contact the NRHA Government Affairs Staff at 202-639-0550.
Rural Problem: Rural Americans are uninsured and underinsured at higher rates than their urban counterparts.
• In the smallest and most remote rural areas, the uninsured rate is 23% compared to an urban rate of 19%.
• A greater proportion of self-employed workers living in rural, areas are uninsured (40%), compared to self-employed workers in urban (32%) areas.
Health Reform Solution: Health reform legislation will improve accessibility and affordability of health coverage for all rural Americans.
• Provisions for the guaranteed issue and renewability of coverage and the prohibition of pre-existing condition exclusions will ensure that insurance coverage is available to all Americans, even if they are already sick.
• Provisions to control insurance companies’ rating practices, prohibit annual or lifetime limits on benefits and place a cap on consumer cost sharing will keep health costs under control for rural Americans.
Rural Problem: Rural Americans are sicker, with higher rates of chronic disease.
• Conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, chronic bronchitis, stroke and arthritis are more prevalent among rural populations than urban. Some of these conditions are also risk factors for other diseases.
Health Reform Solution: Health reform legislation improves primary care and preventive measures.
• Provisions to prohibit cost-sharing for preventive services will encourage individuals to seek care early for better treatment of their conditions.
Rural Problem: Rural America is already experiencing a health care workforce crisis.
• Less than 10% of physicians serve 25% of the country’s population.
• When more individuals have health insurance and are able to afford health care, the strain on the existing providers will be even greater.
Health Reform Solution: Health reform legislation will develop a robust rural health care workforce.
• A strong investment in the National Health Service Corps provides additional funding for scholarships and loan repayments for medical students who choose to practice in underserved areas.
• Changes to Medicare Graduate Medical Education funding can influence residents’ future career choices. Exposure to rural areas during residency is significant predictor for future rural practice.
• Increased support for Title VII and VIII workforce programs is an investment in the long term health of the rural provider pipeline.
Rural Problem: Rural hospitals and providers struggle financially because of inequitable Medicare reimbursement rates, low patient volumes and other reasons.
• The average payment per discharge for rural hospitals in FY 2009 was $7,432; for urban hospitals the average payment per discharge for the same time period was $10,274.
• Some categories of rural hospitals receive special Medicare reimbursement to protect them from financial losses as a result of serving Medicare patients and help them remain in business, serving the community.
Health Reform Solution: Health reform legislation is an opportunity to improve rural Medicare reimbursement rates and strengthen rural safety net providers.
• A number of changes are necessary to ensure that provisions that help rural providers continue to do so and that new provisions are created to better the system.
• For more information on specific rural Medicare provisions needed in health reform, please visit http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/go/left/policy-and-advocacy/health-reform or contact the NRHA Government Affairs Office at 202-639-0550.
Rural America needs health reform. These solutions or variations for rural America are included in a health reform bill currently in Congress. Congress must ensure that health reform works for rural America. For more information about why health reform is important for rural, please contact the NRHA Government Affairs Staff at 202-639-0550.
State Budget Cuts and Impact on Rural Healthcare Services
Governor Ritter announced over $300 million in budget cuts this week. We applaud his efforts in trying to reduce the impact on rural healthcare and safety net services, but these cuts will impact our rural communities, nonetheless. These budget cuts will begin being implemented on September 1st.
There will be a 1.5% reduction in Medicaid Reimbursement Rates and $15 million cut from Amendment 35 funds. The breakdown is as follows:
$7 million from the Tobacco Education Program Fund
$7 million from the Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Fund
$1 million from the Health Disparities Grant Program Fund
The Breast and Cervical Screening Program and the Quitline were spared any cuts.
For a breakdown of the Governor's cuts, please click HERE.
More detailed information will be posted here in the upcoming days.
There will be a 1.5% reduction in Medicaid Reimbursement Rates and $15 million cut from Amendment 35 funds. The breakdown is as follows:
$7 million from the Tobacco Education Program Fund
$7 million from the Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Fund
$1 million from the Health Disparities Grant Program Fund
The Breast and Cervical Screening Program and the Quitline were spared any cuts.
For a breakdown of the Governor's cuts, please click HERE.
More detailed information will be posted here in the upcoming days.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Representative Markey to discuss Healthcare Reform Proposals
Representative Betsy Markey (4th District) will be traveling throughout the month of August discussing the many healthcare reform proposals being debated at the national level. Look for her visit in a town near you!
08/18 Congress on Your Corner Ft Collins 9am – 12pm
08/19 Congress on Your Corner Greeley 11am – 1pm
08/20 Congress on Your Corner Longmont 3pm – 5pm
08/21 Seniors Day Event Greeley 1pm – 3pm
08/22 Congress on Your Corner Ft Lupton 10:00am – 12:00pm
08/24 Tele-Town Hall Meeting District-wide 7:30pm – 8:30pm
08/26 Congress on Your Corner Ft Collins 10:30am – 12pm
08/28 Congress on Your Corner Ft Morgan 9am – 10:30am
09/01 Congress on Your Corner Johnstown 8:30am – 10am
09/02 Congress on Your Corner Windsor 1pm – 3pm
09/03 Congress on Your Corner Estes Park 3:30pm – 5pm
For more information, please contact Ben Marter:
Ben Marter | Communications Director
Congresswoman Betsy Markey (CO-04)
P 202.226.8416 | C 202.503.7888
ben.marter@mail.house.gov
08/18 Congress on Your Corner Ft Collins 9am – 12pm
08/19 Congress on Your Corner Greeley 11am – 1pm
08/20 Congress on Your Corner Longmont 3pm – 5pm
08/21 Seniors Day Event Greeley 1pm – 3pm
08/22 Congress on Your Corner Ft Lupton 10:00am – 12:00pm
08/24 Tele-Town Hall Meeting District-wide 7:30pm – 8:30pm
08/26 Congress on Your Corner Ft Collins 10:30am – 12pm
08/28 Congress on Your Corner Ft Morgan 9am – 10:30am
09/01 Congress on Your Corner Johnstown 8:30am – 10am
09/02 Congress on Your Corner Windsor 1pm – 3pm
09/03 Congress on Your Corner Estes Park 3:30pm – 5pm
For more information, please contact Ben Marter:
Ben Marter | Communications Director
Congresswoman Betsy Markey (CO-04)
P 202.226.8416 | C 202.503.7888
ben.marter@mail.house.gov
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