ATLANTA - After months of preparations, Monday could be one of Atlanta's largest hospital's last full day of operation. Atlanta Medical Center is set to shut down Tuesday, after dealing with more than $100 million in losses over the past year.
Dignity Health Bakersfield hospitals, which include Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Mercy Hospital Downtown and Mercy Hospital Southwest, announced that it's provided more than $119 million during the previous fiscal year in patient financial assistance for those unable to afford medical necessary care, unreimbursed costs of Medi-Cal, community health improvement services and other community benefits.
Hospitals are pleading with Congress to postpone looming Medicare pay cuts, citing what they say has been an extraordinarily difficult year. But that unified message belies the fact that hospitals' financial situations vary significantly, and experts say some facilities would be just fine without lawmakers' help.
Policymakers must work with hospital and medical care administrators, as well as health care foundations focusing on children’s health, to ensure enough funding for development of the pediatric workforce. That way, more pediatric resources can become available at more hospitals.
A report released Tuesday by North Carolina Treasurer Dale Folwell shows that most hospitals in the state are profiting from overcharging patients while claiming they are losing substantial amounts of money on Medicare.
