Health systems in Indiana, including South Bend-based Beacon Health System, are increasingly referring patients on Medicaid to federally supported clinics and centers as their financial woes continue, according to an Oct. 18 report from NBC affiliate 16NewsNow.
Such patients end up instead seeking care at federally qualified health centers, which rely on federal funding, the report said.
"We're seeing across the state the implications of a really difficult financial period for hospitals," said Brian Tabor, president of the Indiana Hospital Association. "We're also seeing increased demand with Medicaid enrollment growing substantially."
The situation is worsened by gridlock in the nation's capital as such centers await federal funding decisions, Mr. Tabor pointed out.