District One State Senator Brian Dahle’s legislation to save rural hospitals will get a health committee hearing next week. Currently, 37 critical access hospitals in rural areas of California don’t get full reimbursement when they provide outpatient treatment for MediCal patients. That means the hospitals lose money when they treat people with lower incomes, and Dahle says it’s a road to bankruptcy for rural health providers. Dahle’s bill, SB 1423, would require MediCal to pay the actual full cost of outpatient care for their clients. The California Hospital Association is among the sponsors of the bill, and they’re actively lobbying other legislators to support it.
– Steve Gibson