The American Hospital Association is urging Congress to prevent the Medicare sequester cuts to hospitals that are scheduled to go into effect on July 1, Healthcare Finance reports.
Hospitals and health systems need financial relief from the pending reduction in Medicare payments to maintain access to care for patients while they continue to face financial and workforce pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, said AHA Executive Vice President Stacey Hughes in a June 14 letter to Congressional leaders.
Ninety-four percent of hospitals have 50% or more of their inpatient days paid by Medicare or Medicaid, and more than three quarters of hospitals have 67% or more Medicare or Medicaid inpatient days, the AHA said.
Medicare and Medicaid reimburse hospitals less than the cost of providing care and are nonnegotiable, fixed reimbursement rates, the AHA said.
The AHA said it was writing on behalf of its nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations, including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, two million nurses and other caregivers and 43,000 healthcare leaders. Read more.
American Hospital Association Urges Congress to Stop July 1 Medicare Sequester Cuts
