Tom VanOsdol, Guest columnist Published 10:42 a.m. CT April 15, 2021

Since the first patients with positive indications and test results for the novel coronavirus began to arrive at local hospitals in March 2020, nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, environmental services personnel and other essential staff members have heroically put their lives at risk to care for those stricken with COVID-19. The pandemic has tested and stressed our teams as never before, and exacted a terrible toll across Northwest Florida. At Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola alone, more than 2,000 people have been hospitalized in our COVID-19 units and ICUs.

When the pandemic began, Ascension Sacred Heart was one of the first hospitals in the state to open drive-through testing sites. Since then, our Ascension Medical Group has provided more than 80,000 COVID-19 tests to people in our region. Similarly, Ascension Sacred Heart was THE first provider in the region to open a mass vaccination clinic. To date, our clinics in Northwest Florida have administered 60,000 shots of vaccine.

It's been an extraordinary and historic effort, and our ongoing work to fight this virus has come at a material and human cost. COVID-19 imposed a financial hit on most hospitals, but especially on safety net hospitals like Ascension Sacred Heart which care for the largest percentage of those who are poor and most vulnerable in our community.

When the pandemic began, our hospitals temporarily stopped performing non-urgent surgeries and procedures in order to appropriately conserve personal protective equipment and prevent the spread of the virus within our facilities. Consumers anxious about COVID-19 also stopped coming to our ERs for care they needed, and they postponed other essential and necessary medical care for conditions like heart and vascular disease, cancer care,and other significant and potentially serious health concerns.

At a time when we are still experiencing a loss of revenue due to COVID-19, we never expected the Florida Legislature to further cut the Medicaid funding we receive to care for the poor and vulnerable in our communities. But sadly thats exactly what's happening. While the Governors budget recognized our efforts over the past year and proposed no cuts, the Florida House budget proposes to reduce Ascension Sacred Heart's Medicaid reimbursements by $16 million and the Senate bill includes cuts totaling $15 million. Importantly, these are NOT governmental payments to healthcare institutions. Rather, these cuts follow individual patients, and further reduce the already less-than-cost reimbursement hospitals receive to cover the care of Medicaid beneficiaries.

We are further dismayed that hospitals providing neonatal intensive care are facing some of the most dramatic funding cuts in the Senate and House budget plans. As the 7th largest Medicaid provider in the state, Ascension Sacred Heart has no room to absorb these proposed cuts. With over 30 percent of our patients being Medicaid enrollees, we now face $16 million in reductions of an already anemic reimbursement rate. In light of these proposed cuts, we simply cannot see a way to balance our budget. For our doctors, nurses and other caregivers who have performed so valiantly and selflessly over the past year, this would mean we would not be able to support and resource them as before. This is not the reward they deserve for their service. And for patients, these cuts would render us unable to continue and extend all the essential services we provide, particularly for those most in need.

We sincerely ask our legislators to reconsider the fairness and the full implications of the House and Senate plans to cut support for the safety net hospitals in Florida, and for those most in need. We are specifically asking the House to reinstate the Critical Care Funds, which are allocated to the top 25 Medicaid providers in the state and are intended to help offset losses incurred when reimbursement is far less than the cost to deliver care. Importantly, were not asking for more money. Were simply asking NOT to be cut, particularly in light of the year weve all lived through.

Additionally, the Legislature is planning these cuts at the same time that Florida is the beneficiary of $10 billion in federal funds coming to the State and over $300 million is coming from an increase in the rate of federal matching funds for the Medicaid program.

Throughout the pandemic, the community has been able to rely on us despite the financial and operating challenges COVID-19 has presented. And in turn we've been fortunate to have the support of the community, and of our state and local officials as we worked to fight this battle, save human lives and slow the spread of the virus. Today, the new vaccines provide great hope, but the fight against COVID-19 is not finished. Now is not the time to reduce Medicaid funding for healthcare providers who have battled tirelessly over a year to serve the needs of our community and those most vulnerable to this insidious disease .

Tom VanOsdol is president and CEO ofAscension Florida and Gulf Coast.

Read or Share this story: https://www.pnj.com/story/opinion/2021/04/15/dont-reduce-medicaid-funding-safety-net-hospitals-guestview/7237002002/

Continue reading here:

Now is not the time to reduce Medicaid funding for safety net hospitals | Guestview - Pensacola News Journal