Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Governor, NYC Mayor Bicker Publicly Over Hospital Funding
The New York Times: With Federal Cuts To Hospitals, Cuomo Suggests New York City Step Up
After weeks of warning about its possible consequences, a federal cut to New York’s hospitals took effect on Sunday, adding stress to the state’s already overworked public health care system. The cut came as a result of a lack of action by Congress on so-called Disproportionate Share Hospital payments, known as D.S.H., which are federal funds that help hospitals cover the cost of serving poor and uninsured patients. Under the Affordable Care Act, those funds were supposed to be reduced as more patients received insurance coverage. (McKinley, 10/2)
In other hospital news —
Stat: Texas Hospitals Feeling The Long-Term Financial Strains Of Harvey
Texas hospitals canceled surgeries, evacuated patients, and closed for days because of Hurricane Harvey. They sank millions of dollars into not caring for patients as a measure of precaution. More than a month after Harvey made landfall, administrators at the roughly two dozen hospitals that evacuated in the eastern part of the state have now reopened their doors to patients. But some may feel the financial burdens of the storm for months to come — both caring for more patients who can’t afford treatment, while also seeing patients postpone the more lucrative elective surgeries that are many hospitals’ moneymakers. (Blau, 10/3)
The Philadelphia Inquirer/Philly.com: Why Five Philly-Area Hospitals Lost In-Network Status With IBC Plans
Independence Blue Cross’ contract offer to Tower Health on Friday, the day Tower completed its acquisition of Brandywine Hospital, Chestnut Hill Hospital, Jennersville Regional Hospital, Phoenixville Hospital, and Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, contained what was effectively a poison pill, Clint Matthews, president and chief executive of Tower Health, said Monday. “The issue that has come between us is the clause that we would not compete with a health plan” in territory served by IBC, Matthews said. (Brubaker, 10/2)
Boston Globe: Federal Probe Found Lapses At Psychiatric Hospitals
The federal government threatened to stop Medicare payments to three Massachusetts psychiatric hospitals last month, citing safety lapses that caused two mentally ill patients to go without critical medicines for days. One of the patients had a seizure and fell, suffering a traumatic head injury, as a result. (Kowalczyk, 10/3)
