Hospital Groups Hit GOP Medicaid Plan

Multiple hospital trade groups on Monday released statements criticizing the draft bill House Republicans released over the weekend for changes to Medicaid they say could force millions of people to lose insurance coverage.

The draft legislation released by House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee on Sunday evening would impose new mandates that could cause people receiving coverage through Medicaid to lose their insurance.

"Congressional Republicans and President [Donald] Trump rightly pledged to protect Medicaid benefits and coverage — this bill fails that test," said Chip Kahn, president of the Federation for American Hospitals. "It is imperative Republicans go back to the drawing board; too many lives depend on it."

Among the provisions in the draft bill are work requirements for certain beneficiaries as well as cuts to funding for states that pay for Medicaid expenses accrued by undocumented immigrants.

"These proposed cuts will not make the Medicaid program work better for the 72 million Americans who rely on it," Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, said in a statement. "Instead, it will lead to millions of hardworking Americans losing access to health care and many of our nation's hospitals struggling to maintain services and stay open for their communities."

"These hospitals, which already operate on thin margins, cannot absorb such losses without reducing services or closing their doors altogether," said Bruce Siegel, president and CEO of America's Essential Hospitals.

The plan also came under fire from Republicans who felt that the legislation didn't go far enough in cutting funding for Medicaid.

"I sure hope House & Senate leadership are coming up with a backup plan ... because I'm not here to rack up an additional $20 trillion in debt over 10 years or to subsidize healthy, able-bodied adults, corrupt blue states, and monopoly hospital ceos," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on social media.

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