Today's Date: June 4, 2023
VITRAC Therapeutics to Present Phase 1 Clinical Trial Design on Novel Aurora Kinase A Inhibitor, VIC-1911, and G12C Inhibitor, S   •   Reigniting the Cancer Moonshot: Massive Bio Joins CancerX as Founding Member to Accelerate Innovation and AI Implementation in C   •   Statement by the Prime Minister to mark four years since the publication of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missin   •   Tips for a smooth transition to senior living from the San Luis Obispo assisted living professionals   •   Promising Data for Investigational Innovative Bispecific Ivonescimab Featured at ASCO 2023   •   High Schooler empowers Youth with Nonprofit "Unlimited Potential", raises $100,000 for Sports Medicine Research and Advocacy   •   Promoting Diversity and Equity in Cancer Research, Women Leaders in Oncology® and Vaniam Group Announce Recipients of 2023 Y   •   Government of Canada releases summary of actions taken to address the safety and wellbeing of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBT   •   Natera Announces Data from the ProActive Study that Supports Prospera™ Kidney as an Early Indicator of Transplant Rejectio   •   Dorsett Wanchai Marks World Environment Day 2023 with Bold Paperless and Plastic-Free Sustainability Initiatives   •   Research Results from Ontada HOPE Studies Presented at ASCO 2023 Illuminate How Social Determinants of Health Impact Different P   •   Air Canada's Inaugural Amsterdam-Montreal Route Takes Off; Uplifts Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Amsterdam   •   Four-Year Outcomes from Phase 3 CheckMate -9LA Trial Show Durable, Long-Term Survival with Opdivo (nivolumab) Plus Yervoy (ipili   •   Bijou Ikli named new CEO by Florida Assisted Living Association   •   Puma Biotechnology Announces Presentation of Biomarker Findings from a Phase II Study of Alisertib with Paclitaxel versus Paclit   •   Nucleai and Mayo Clinic BioPharma Diagnostics Announce Strategic Collaboration to Transform Digital Pathology for Drug Developme   •   Statement by the Prime Minister on Canadian Armed Forces Day   •   ELAHERE® Demonstrates 35% Reduction in the Risk of Disease Progression or Death Versus Chemotherapy in FRα-Positive Pl   •   TAGRISSO® achieved unprecedented survival in early-stage EGFR-mutated lung cancer, with 88% of patients alive at five years   •   Cupshe Celebrates 8th Birthday with Exclusive Collection in Collaboration with Chanel Iman, Heather Rae El Moussa, and Brittany
Bookmark and Share

WV Hospital Sues Health Dept Over Medicaid $$$

 BECKLEY, WV - Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc., have filed a lawsuit against the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and its Bureau for Medical Services for inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates that threaten the continued operation of the not-for-profit Beckley ARH Hospital (BARH).  The suit was filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

"In November we provided the state with a 30-day notice of intent to sue with the hope during the notice period the state would work to develop a mutually acceptable settlement. Regrettably we were not able to come to a settlement," said Rocco Massey, community chief executive officer of BARH. "Medicaid reimbursements have been covering only two-thirds of our costs for providing medical care, so BARH has been suffering a substantial financial loss. These Medicaid rates jeopardize BARH's continued ability to provide medical services to all of its patients."

In fiscal year 2009, BARH received only $9.9 million for the $14.7 million the hospital spent to treat Medicaid patients. Of the$9.9 million in Medicaid reimbursements BARH received, $8.2 million came from federal funds. Of the $1.7 million the state put in that year to match federal funds, $1.4 million came from BARH itself through the Medicaid provider tax the hospital pays. Thus, the state put in only about $300,000 of its own funds that year for Medicaid reimbursements for BARH.

"If the state had put in just $800,000 more, the federal government would have matched it with an additional $4 million," Massey said. "That would have covered BARH's Medicaid deficit in fiscal year 2009."

Massey also indicated the state's low Medicaid payment threatens access to care for Medicaid recipients as well as the general public. If BARH cannot cover patient costs it will be forced to reduce available services to all patients. The facility has an 80% occupancy level.

A disproportionately large percentage of BARH's patients, about 22 percent, are Medicaid beneficiaries, so shortfalls in Medicaid reimbursements significantly affect the hospital's ability to operate or make necessary capital expenditures. BARH, a not-for-profit hospital, has little opportunity to shift costs to other payers, because about 47 percent of its patients are on Medicare (which pays 90 percent of costs), and another 14 percent are on other government programs or are considered bad debt or charity cases (paying less than cost, if anything at all).

"The Bureau for Medical Services is required by statute to set Medicaid rates that are reasonable and adequate to meet costs incurred by efficiently and economically operated hospitals," noted Stephen Price, an attorney with Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs ofLouisville, Ky., and counsel for Appalachian Regional Healthcare. "The bureau also is required to take into account the situation of hospitals that serve disproportionate numbers of low-income patients."

BARH is not the only entity attempting to force the state to meet its legal obligation. The West Virginia Primary Care Association, representing community health centers, recently filed a notice of intent to sue over inadequate Medicaid reimbursements.

State law provides that potential litigants must give 30-day notice before suing the state so that it might be possible to settle issues without litigation.

"We were disappointed we were not able to solve this situation without legal action, however being able to meet the needs of our patients is paramount and we had to proceed," Price said. "We understand the state has limited funds, but state law requires it to pay Medicaid costs."

BARH will continue to service the community and its patients as usual as the lawsuit proceeds.

Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc., is a not-for-profit health system serving 350,000 residents across eastern Kentuckyand southern West Virginia. Operating nine hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies, ARH is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

The ARH system employs 4,700 employees and has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members representing various specialties. Firmly committed to its mission of improving the health and promoting the well-being of all people in eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia, in the past 12 months alone, ARH provided more than $120 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.

Beckley ARH Hospital is a not-for-profit, 173-bed facility serving the needs of southern West Virginia. The facility offers a 60-bed Behavioral Science Unit, state-of-the-art imaging with advanced CT and MRI units, the largest emergency department in the region, home health services, pediatric services, HomeCare Store, cardiac catheterization, physical, occupational & speech therapy, cardiopulmonary services, general & specialty surgical services and sleep lab services. With over 550 employees, Beckley ARH is the third largest employer in Raleigh County.


STORY TAGS: GENERAL, BLACK NEWS, AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWS, LATINO NEWS, HISPANIC NEWS, MINORITY NEWS, CIVIL RIGHTS, DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, DIVERSITY, RACIAL EQUALITY, BIAS, EQUALITY



Back to top
| Back to home page
Video

White House Live Stream
LIVE VIDEO EVERY SATURDAY
alsharpton Rev. Al Sharpton
9 to 11 am EST
jjackson Rev. Jesse Jackson
10 to noon CST


Video

LIVE BROADCASTS
Sounds Make the News ®
WAOK-Urban
Atlanta - WAOK-Urban
KPFA-Progressive
Berkley / San Francisco - KPFA-Progressive
WVON-Urban
Chicago - WVON-Urban
KJLH - Urban
Los Angeles - KJLH - Urban
WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
New York - WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
WADO-Spanish
New York - WADO-Spanish
WBAI - Progressive
New York - WBAI - Progressive
WOL-Urban
Washington - WOL-Urban

Listen to United Natiosns News