The Washington state House of Representatives has released its two-year budget, which includes $250 million in Medicaid reimbursement cuts to hospitals in the state as well as an estimated $75 million in cuts for ER visits, according to a release by the Washington State Hospital Association.
The WSHA criticized the cuts, saying the budget violates agreements for the Hospital Safety Net Assessment, which assesses hospitals a fee on all non-Medicare patient days in order to receive additional federal matching funds for the Medicaid program. Instead, the budget changes the fee to a tax, which results in the loss of $250 million in Medicaid payments, according to the WSHA.
Additionally, the budget would cut $75 million in payments for ER visits, according to the report.
Read the WSHA release on Washington state hospitals.
Read more coverage on Washington state hospitals:
- Two Washington Hospitals to Negotiate Affiliation With Swedish Medical Center
- Seattle's Swedish Medical Center to Open Stand-Alone ER
- Franciscan Health System Opens New Hospital in Washington
The WSHA criticized the cuts, saying the budget violates agreements for the Hospital Safety Net Assessment, which assesses hospitals a fee on all non-Medicare patient days in order to receive additional federal matching funds for the Medicaid program. Instead, the budget changes the fee to a tax, which results in the loss of $250 million in Medicaid payments, according to the WSHA.
Additionally, the budget would cut $75 million in payments for ER visits, according to the report.
Read the WSHA release on Washington state hospitals.
Read more coverage on Washington state hospitals:
- Two Washington Hospitals to Negotiate Affiliation With Swedish Medical Center
- Seattle's Swedish Medical Center to Open Stand-Alone ER
- Franciscan Health System Opens New Hospital in Washington