Letter to the Editor - Medicare Legislation
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
For Immediate Release Driggs, ID - (11/04/2003) - On Tuesday, November 25, 2003, the Senate passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. While it is well known that this historic passage provides for prescription drug access to seniors; it is not as well known that the bill also provides resources to hospitals to allow them to keep pace with their standard of care and provide critical programs to the communities in which they serve. The media coverage locally and on a National level misses a key component impacting rural based health providers. Most notably for our community and our community based hospital is that it maintains and strengthens payment to rural hospitals and provides relief for hospitals treating a large number of Medicaid and uninsured patients. The bill will provide approximately $25 billion in relief to hospitals over the next 10 years. This will allow rural based hospitals like Teton Valley Hospital & Surgicenter to continue to provide the level of quality care and patient focus as first priority. While the passing of the Prescription Drug Program is a milestone achievement for Medicare and for seniors we can not forget about the relief program component that will allow rural based hospitals an opportunity survive in a healthcare systems of reduced fee schedules and managed care. Questions and comments are welcome. Please contact Traci Andrews, Director of Development for Teton Valley Hospital & Surgicenter @ 354-2383 ext. 181. |