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Warren General Hospital seems to check the boxes to benefit from the Rural Hospital Support Act.
It doesn't.
The bill, introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is intended to help small, rural hospitals in several ways.
It would:
¯ "Make permanent the enhanced low-volume Medicare adjustment for small rural prospective payment system hospitals;
¯ "Update the year on which sole community hospitals and Medicare-dependent hospitals can base their operating costs from 2012 to 2016; and
¯ "Make permanent the Medicare-Dependent Hospital program which ensures that eligible rural hospitals are reimbursed for their costs."
"The low-volume Medicare adjustment helps to level the playing field for hospitals in small and isolated communities whose operating costs often outpace their revenue," according to a release from the senators.
Updating the year for operating costs "would ensure these hospitals can tie reimbursement estimates to more recent trends in costs under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system."
"Every American deserves reliable access to health care," Casey said. "Rural hospitals can be the difference between life and death in many parts of the U.S. Often, a rural hospital means not only safe, dependable access to health care and emergency health needs, but economic safety and stability for an entire community. This legislation takes an important step to maintain that lifeline, especially for older adults and lower income Americans. I will continue to work to bring federal funding to rural communities and make sure older Americans have the health care support they need no matter where they live."
Unfortunately, Warren General doesn't meet most of the definitions in the bill.
According to Warren General CEO Rick Allen, the hospital falls between the small, rural hospital designation and a mid-size community hospital.
It is the only hospital in a county that is a "medically underserved area," but Warren General is not a "sole community hospital."
And, despite the hospital qualifying for federal Medicare programs like 340B Pharmacy, "we are not a 'Medicare dependent hospital,'" Allen said.
"We do qualify for the 'enhanced Medicare low -- volume payment adjustment,'" he said. "Unfortunately, this is not much money added to our operating revenue."
Allen supports efforts to help small and rural hospitals, even if they aren't of particular benefit to Warren General.
"Certainly, we support federal and state legislation to financially prop up rural community hospitals," he said.
Ideally, he would prefer to support an effort that would include Warren General.
"We do not expect much from this legislation although we will support and would welcome any enhanced payments," Allen said.