Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Rebekah Gee talks with Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, following her testimony before the House Appropriations Committee meeting Tuesday. Credit; Justin DiCharia.

4 safety net hospitals face closure

By Justin DiCharia Manship School News Service

Legislators who have hospitals under threat of closure in their districts expressed confusion and anger in a prolonged House Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday after Gov. John Bel Edwards’ announced he is forced to cut the funding for the so-called safety net hospitals in Lake Charles, Alexandria, Bogalusa and Houma to balance next year’s budget.
Unless some unforeseen funding is found, or a special session is called in mid-June to bring in extra revenue, their doors would close July 1.
Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Rebekah Gee testified that DHH had suggested evenly spreading the $86 million cut to all state hospitals operated under public-private contracts, but changed strategies after receiving negative feedback.
“The public-private contractors said they would walk if we spread the cuts equally over the state,” Gee said. “And that is why certain hospitals are only going to receive a 3 percent reduction.”
The safety net hospitals under the budgetary microscope are all public-private institutions that serve Medicaid patients or residents without insurance or other means of financing their medical bills.
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne stated the decisions to cut off funding to the four hospitals proposed, and not hospitals in Monroe, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and New Orleans, came from a look at the geographic medical needs of the state.
Originally, DHH stated Monroe was one of the hospitals that would be on the chopping block. However, Dardenne said it had been removed in order to provide medical services to the northeastern part of the state.
During Dardenne’s testimony, Rep. Beryl Amedée, R-Houma, conveyed her annoyance that Ochsner Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center in the representative’s district was losing its funding.
“Three percent cut to some hospitals and 100 percent cut to other hospitals,” Amedée said. “That doesn’t sound good”
Amedée opposed all revenue-raising measures that came before the special session called by Gov. Jon Bel Edwards to figure out a way to cover a $2 billion budget gap for the next fiscal year, which action in the session whittled to the current $750 million.
Traditionally, private partners must give the state 60 days’ notice before exiting from their contracts, but Dardenne said the state has agreed to waive this notice to show the partners Edwards’ administration was working toward finding funding for the hospitals in jeopardy.
The four hospitals the governor proposed to cut need $75 million in funds starting July 1 to keep their doors open.

PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT

Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news from Eunice, LA. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!

Twitter icon
Facebook icon

Follow Us

Subscriber Links