Story Created:
Jul 22, 2009 at 1:14 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Jul 22, 2009 at 6:47 PM EDT
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - As President Barack Obama continues his push to overhaul the U.S. health care system, many are anxiously awaiting a concrete, final version of what the health care bill known as America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. The main issue at hand is how to insure the uninsured. Excellus BlueCross BlueSheild insures 227,000 in the Utica area and while it's in favor of reform, Excellus wants to see an expansion of private coverage, not the public option being discussed.
"Private insurance cannot fairly compete against the government, when the government can fix prices. Thus private premiums would skyrocket, making private health insurance unaffordable for most."
A spokesperson for St. Elizabeth Medical Center said hospital officials are worried that the rate given to hospitals could mirror that of a certain medicare rate which is below what it costs for St. E's to take care of people.
Rome Memorial Chief Financial Officer Nicholas Mayhew shares similar concerns.
"While we don't have final numbers, it is essential that reimbursements from the proposed health care reform legislation offset those cuts so that small, local hospitals like us can survive," said Mayhew.
In 2008, St. Elizabeth Medical Center ran up approximately $9 million in "bad debt,"caring for the uninsured. Faxton St. Luke's Health Care carried $8 million in bad debt and Rome Memorial Hospital had $5.4 million.
There are 36,236 uninsured people in Oneida, Herkimer and Otsego Counties.
Congressman Michael Arcuri oversees these and other counties says under the proposal, hospitals would get more back simply because uninsured would have coverage. However, the reimbursements would come at a later date than they do now.
Arcuri said he isn't likely to support a bill rushed to be passed before the Congresses August recess, something the President has been pushed.
"We don't need to cram it down anybodies throats we need to make sure we do it right," Arcuri said in an phone interview today.
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