Turlock's Emanuel, other CA safety-net hospitals struggle under ACA

Hospitals that treat California's poorest patients are faring badly under the Affordable Care Act's drive to improve quality. Under ACA authority, Medicare is imposing fines on safety-net hospitals at twice the rate paid by other hospitals, according to an analysis by the Center for Health Reporting. One local safety-net hospital, Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock, was the most highly penalized in the state. "The safety-net hospitals are dealing with a population that's sicker by the time they show up at the hospital," said Alice Chen, a health economist at the University of Southern California. "This stacks the deck" against them.