Medicaid Expansion

02/07/2013

Texas leads the nation with the highest uninsured rate of approximately 27 percent. Roughly six million Texans have no health insurance, including one million children. Forty percent of the state’s pregnant women do not receive appropriate pre-natal care. As Texas residents, these numbers are troubling and ultimately, the key to solve these problems is working together in a collaborative manner. … Read More

Peeling Back the Onion

01/22/2013

U.S. healthcare spending grew 3.9 percent in 2011, reaching $2.7 trillion and representing three consecutive years of slow growth. Healthcare spending as a percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remained stable at 17.9. If we peel back the onion to look at how U.S. healthcare dollars are spent, we might be surprised. Hospital patient care represents only 31 percent of … Read More

Is the fiscal cliff really over?

01/09/2013

We need to look at health care impact on hospitals over the past two years and not just focus on the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 recently passed by the Senate and House. Hospitals in North Texas and across the nation realized the need to reform health care delivery. They supported the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act … Read More

The 83rd Texas Legislative Session

11/16/2012

The 83rd Texas Legislative Session for Texas convenes at noon on January 8, 2013. We thank our legislators for their public service to the State of Texas and hope for a constructive, collaborative bipartisan session regarding our state issues. Many priorities relating to the budget, public education, transportation, labor and workforce and the state’s environment will be discussed and reviewed. … Read More

Readmissions – A Complex Issue

10/01/2012

In October each year we enjoy the State Fair of Texas, fall festivals, carving pumpkins and Texas football at all levels. This year a new event begins Oct. 1, 2012 resulting from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). A readmissions provision imposes financial penalties on hospitals for “excess” readmissions when compared to “expected” levels of readmission. Generally, hospitals … Read More

Medicaid Expansion – The Immediate Question

07/03/2012

We all know the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). One decision for the state of Texas regards expanding the current Medicaid program. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states have the option to expand their Medicaid program, but there is no enforceable requirement. Texas leads the nation … Read More

President Obama’s FY 2013 Budget Proposal

02/14/2012

In reviewing the proposal by President Obama, there will be $320 billion reductions in Medicare and Medicaid. Approximately $268 billion in Medicare and $52 billion in Medicaid. The proposed cuts include reducing care for the elderly indigent by lowering the bad debt payments up to 25 percent from the current level of 70 percent. Indirect medical education, rural healthcare providers … Read More

Open letter to our Congressional Leaders

02/08/2012

We urge you NOT TO SUPPORT any additional cuts to Medicare as the February 29, 2012 deadline approaches. Although we support the elimination of the 27.4% proposed Medicare cuts to physicians, it should not be done at the expense of hospitals that provide billions of dollars in Medicare, Medicaid and charity care services to millions of Americans in need of … Read More