Executives at rural hospitals are squeamish when it comes to talks of dismantling the Affordable Care Act.
Many rural hospital executives have expressed anxiety over potential changes to the Affordable Care Act, which for many of these smaller institutions has provided a substantial boost in the number of patients they can treat. According to an article published by Colorado Public Radio, Konnie Martin, the CEO of San Luis Valley Health in Alamosa, is among the concerned. The rural hospital not only provides quality medical care to those who live close by, but it also provides 670 jobs and is by far the largest employer in the region. It’s also important to note that San Luis Valley Health in Alamosa is the only rural hospital in the region that can perform speciality surgeries or deliver babies. In comparison, a trip to Denver from San Luis Valley Health can take about 4 hours if weather permits. The 2010 Census shows that approximately 8,780 people live in Alamosa, which means that just over 7% of the population is directly employed by the hospital, and Martin says the hospital already runs on a tight margin. Substantial changes in the Affordable Care Act will affect the entire local community, and most fear it is not for the better. [gallery ids="10567,10569"] San Luis Valley Health is not the only hospital in fear of changes. Lincoln Community Hospital and Care Center in Hugo, a provider of 175 jobs in a town of 722 people, is the only hospital for 75 miles. They’re also facing serious consequences should drastic changes to the Affordable Care Act come to fruition. In many respects, the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of medicaid and insurance coverage is helping these institutions mitigate some risk and plan ahead, yet 57 percent of rural residents voted Republican and about 78 percent of those on the eastern plains voted Republican as well. So where’s the disconnect? Lincoln Community Hospital CEO Kevin Stansbury said a lot of people who purchased private plans were swamped by high premiums and deductibles. The problem is that many of these people are self employed and if they want health insurance they need to purchase private plans, which will help in catastrophic circumstances, but not when you need lesser procedures performed or need regular medication. That money is most likely going to come out of pocket regardless of if you have insurance or not. So there’s not much incentive in the eyes of the consumer. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect yourself against catastrophic events, but a lot of people are willing to take that risk. Yet the Affordable Care Act still proves beneficial to the rural hospital. If a patient does have a catastrophic event and does not have health insurance, the hospital assumes the cost. The Affordable Care Act also increased medicaid coverage in rural areas by 44 percent, and even though not all services are reimbursed by medicaid, it helps mitigate more of that risk.
Regardless of what happens, rural hospitals need steady financial support. They’re critical to their communities and they are one of the top three job creators in rural Colorado. Patients also need affordable coverage, and I suppose the insurance companies to some extent need to skim a little off the top too. What are your thoughts? Have you seen any changes in your current situations? Have you ever been to a rural hospital in Colorado? If so, we want to hear about it!
