Schaffer Calls on Governor DeWine for Hospital Relief
April 3, 2020
Tim Schaffer News
COLUMBUS—State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) today delivered a letter to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for his immediate attention towards the looming financial hardships facing Ohio’s hospitals and healthcare systems.
“I am deeply concerned that some hospitals and healthcare providers may not financially survive the call to respond to the surge of highly ill patients, increased capacity at all cost, and a long duration event, while enduring the consumption of their limited cash reserves to privately fund this call to action”, said Schaffer. “This is due to daily business revenue being decimated by this pandemic”.
The letter, crafted with the cooperation of hospital leaders throughout the 20th State Senate District, calls on Governor DeWine to focus all available resources to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the healthcare delivery system, especially in Appalachia Ohio. This includes financial assistance, mandate relief, hospital franchise fee changes in terms, Medicaid lump sum payment change, and accelerating HCAP payments.
“In this region of the state, the resulting devastation to our communities from hospital reductions or closures could be double or triple that of larger urban areas”, said Schaffer. “Directly, there will be devastating reductions in access to healthcare. Indirectly, families will go into crisis as they will not be able to meet financial commitments, local and state governments will suffer from a vast reduction in tax revenue leading to cuts in essential services, and there will be never-before-seen levels of unemployment compensation claims”.
Schaffer also called on the Governor to advocate for as much federal funding available in the recently passed CARES Act to be committed to preserving Ohio’s healthcare providers and front line community healthcare organizations. To see a copy of the letter delivered to Governor DeWine’s office, click here.
“I am deeply concerned that some hospitals and healthcare providers may not financially survive the call to respond to the surge of highly ill patients, increased capacity at all cost, and a long duration event, while enduring the consumption of their limited cash reserves to privately fund this call to action”, said Schaffer. “This is due to daily business revenue being decimated by this pandemic”.
The letter, crafted with the cooperation of hospital leaders throughout the 20th State Senate District, calls on Governor DeWine to focus all available resources to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the healthcare delivery system, especially in Appalachia Ohio. This includes financial assistance, mandate relief, hospital franchise fee changes in terms, Medicaid lump sum payment change, and accelerating HCAP payments.
“In this region of the state, the resulting devastation to our communities from hospital reductions or closures could be double or triple that of larger urban areas”, said Schaffer. “Directly, there will be devastating reductions in access to healthcare. Indirectly, families will go into crisis as they will not be able to meet financial commitments, local and state governments will suffer from a vast reduction in tax revenue leading to cuts in essential services, and there will be never-before-seen levels of unemployment compensation claims”.
Schaffer also called on the Governor to advocate for as much federal funding available in the recently passed CARES Act to be committed to preserving Ohio’s healthcare providers and front line community healthcare organizations. To see a copy of the letter delivered to Governor DeWine’s office, click here.