Norwegian American Hospital Legislative Alert! Reject Proposed Medicaid Cuts
On behalf of the Humboldt Park Community of Wellness, we are asking all to read and support the letter sent out by Norweigan American Hospital, one of our partners in attempting to build a wholistic community of health. Read below and contact your local State Representative!
Read below:
Dear Colleagues and Norwegian American Hospital Supporters:
I am writing on behalf of Norwegian American Hospital to urge you to oppose the proposed reduction in Medicaid funding to Illinois Hospitals presented by Governor Patrick J. Quinn.
The safety-net, non-profit hospitals such as Norwegian American Hospital depend heavily on the Medicaid revenue we receive for caring for low-income patients, and the current version of the proposed the Governor’s FY2012 state budget proposal, which includes a $552 million reduction in Medicaid funding (from a 6 percent rate reimbursement reduction) for hospitals, nursing homes, and many non-institutional providers will have a serious and damaging impact on urban safety-net hospitals such as Norwegian American Hospital and the low income communities we serve. Urban safety-net hospitals proudly serve low-income communities, and many are the primary or only available source of care for patients in the community which are low-income, uninsured, and underserved. Because of our commitment as a mission driven hospital we provide so much care to so many Medicaid and Medicare recipients and the uninsured, we have among the lowest operating margins among hospitals in the U.S. today – a sign of severe financial distress. Reductions in federal Medicaid would hurt us even more and potentially jeopardize our ability to continue serving our/your community.
Illinois Hospital Association (IHA) President Maryjane A. Wurth issued the following statement about the Governor’s proposed cuts;
‘Making such deep cuts will pose serious challenges to many financially fragile hospitals, which are already struggling to survive. With hospitals being squeezed between higher costs – for labor, new technology and medical liability – and inadequate revenues during the current economic downturn, their ability to continue to perform the critical role of serving their patients and their communities will be seriously jeopardized by Medicaid rate reductions.
‘We urge the General Assembly to reject these proposed Medicaid cuts and work with IHA and the hospital community to develop fair and reasonable approaches to save money in the Medicaid program and ensure that Illinois continues to have a strong health care system and a vibrant economy.’
We encourage you to take a stand for hospitals such as Norwegian American Hospital committed to providing healthcare to the low-income, uninsured, and underinsured in their own communities and the health care providers that serve them, by opposing the proposed Medicaid reductions. Norwegian American Hospital has served this community for over 100 years and in order to continue to serve you We Need Your Help. The hospital community must QUICKLY generate a groundswell of opposition to the proposed, catastrophic Medicaid cuts. The voices of the health care community must rise and contact local legislators and urge to reject the Medicaid Cuts.
Please use the attached letter, address to your Illinois Legislator from the contact list link below, and email your support.
Thank you for your support,
Jose R. Sanchez
http://www.ilga.gov/house/default.asp
http://www.ilga.gov/senate/default.asp
| Senator | District | Party |
| Pamela J. Althoff | 32 | R |
| Tim Bivins | 45 | R |
| Larry K. Bomke | 50 | R |
| Bill Brady | 44 | R |
| J. Bradley Burzynski* | 35 | R |
| James F. Clayborne, Jr. | 57 | D |
| Jacqueline Y. Collins | 16 | D |
| M. Maggie Crotty | 19 | D |
| John J. Cullerton | 6 | D |
| Shane Cultra | 53 | R |
| William Delgado | 2 | D |
| Kirk W. Dillard | 24 | R |
| Dan Duffy | 26 | R |
| Gary Forby | 59 | D |
| Michael W. Frerichs | 52 | D |
| Susan Garrett | 29 | D |
| <a href=’http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.a |