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Rep. Byrne Discusses Rural Hospital Issues During Atmore Visit
May 30, 2018
Alabama Rep. Bradley Byrne visited Atmore Community Hospital Tuesday to discuss challenges facing Alabama’s rural hospitals.
Byrne said at least twelve 12 hospitals have closed in Alabama since 2011, and another dozen are in danger of closing in the next two years.
Byrne said he is working with his Alabama colleagues in Congress to solve problems relating to the Medicare Wage Index, which severely hurts Alabama’s hospitals. Alabama has the lowest Medicare reimbursement rate in the country. He said Alabama hospitals are reimbursed as much as 21 percent below the national average and at rates considerably lower than neighboring states.
“This is a fight I am going to keep up because the issue is so very important,” he said.
Officials from hospitals throughout Southwest Alabama, local elected officials and community leaders joined Byrne in the Atmore meeting.
Byrne also visited a local pharmacy.
“I’m committed to making sure Alabamians have reliable access to necessary medications,” he said.
Comments
4 Responses to “Rep. Byrne Discusses Rural Hospital Issues During Atmore Visit”
Thanks Brad! Your the best!
Thank you Congressman Bradley Byrne for being a champion for Escambia County, Alabama and for working toward helping us keep these hospitals open.
I can make it real simple. You may not want to hear it, but the bottom line is two things:(1) If we don’t extend Medicaid the hospital will most probably close. We aren’t a critical care hospital, therefore we receive only half of the reimbursement of cost.
That means usually (99.9 %) the other half is not paid.
(2) People will die!!!!!!!!!!
So again politicians, people of Alabama, Voters (especially you), what will happen may be in your hands.
My question to you is: “What is the value of just one life?” For me one life is one too many. Let’s pray it’s not your Dad, Mom, Child, or relative. Then the hospital closing really matters and hits home.
I am going to take a wild guess here and say the states who’s Hospitals get more Medicaid and Medicare Money are also states which expanded Medicare. At least thats what my five minutes of research seems to be the biggest cash cow. And I would also think these rural Hospitals may not be investing in the newer medical equipment that the bigger ones have, which will also hurt revenue. So in short AL should have took the Free Fed money and expanded Medicaid and invested some of that with it.