The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #74258

LaRay Brown, Senior VP, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, 125 Worth Street, Room 513, New York City, NY 10013, 212, 788-3449, BROWNL@nychhc.org

Safety net hospital financing is highly dependent upon Medicaid funding and thus subject to tremendous variability across states. Public hospitals in particular rely heavily upon programs such as the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payment to pay for unreimbursed and under-reimbursed care.

Safety net hospitals also provide vital services such as trauma, burns, and other specialized care available to all members of the community regardless of ability to pay. However, many of these services are the most costly and poorly reimbursed as well. Increasing demands of emergency preparedness due to the threat of terrorism has further strained the system.

Safety net hospitals are seeking numerous forms of relief from the pressures being placed on them from Federal legislators and administrative agencies. Priority areas for relief include improvement in reimbursement through the Medicaid DSH program and funding for services such as care to undocumented immigrants, emergency preparedness, the Healthy Communities Access Program. and medical education.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be informed of critical legislation supporting safety net hospitals and their ability to provide care to uninsured and Medicaid populations.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.