CEO Notes

John Murphy, MD, President and CEO, WCHN

Higher hospital taxes – Lower patient care reimbursement

Every physician in WCHN needs to act now to prevent devastating budget cuts. You can take action below directly from this message.

Once again we find ourselves fighting Governor Malloy’s proposed state budget which starts July 1st. To help close an estimated $1 billion budget shortfall, the Governor wants to increase the hospital taxes and reduce reimbursement rates to providers caring for the poor. This equals an additional $10+ million per year in new taxes and reimbursement reductions to Western Connecticut Health Network. These will be in addition to the $30 million we are already obligated to absorb. If the cuts move forward, they will have a serious impact on our patients, communities, staff and local economies.

To say this is frustrating is an understatement. Each time the Governor cuts financial support for health care, he creates a negative ripple that affects every person in our State. Sadly, those who need care most are the ones most hurt by the Governor’s actions. And no matter how we try to make the Governor and his staff understand the issues and the impact, they simply will not listen to us. We spend hours on this issue each time it surfaces. And the Governor simply moves forward.

These cuts put our mission at risk and threaten the core of our conviction to provide access to quality care in the communities we call home. Unless we work urgently together to make our voices heard, every patient, practice, family and business will feel the impact.

If these cuts go through:

• Physicians’ payments for caring for Medicaid patients will be cut. If we fail to serve those in need, where can they turn?
• We will be forced to eliminate patient programs and services. Losing these offerings will limit how people in our communities can access practitioners and treatment. The people who need care the most will lose care first.
• We will reduce current staffing levels. Of course, this is always a last resort and done with every consideration to lessen the impact on patient care.
• Our staff will be asked to do more with less.

We need your help. The proposed budget cuts undermine what we have all worked so hard to achieve over the last several years, to grow our Network by removing costs from our system while preserving the quality of care our communities have come to expect. Together, we have built a Network that makes quality care easy, accessible and affordable. Now we must lead the effort to protect our community’s healthcare resources and preserve access to patient care.

Please go to http://www.carewecancounton.org. Send an email to express your concern. When you think it’s appropriate, share this message with your patients.

While we are meeting with State officials, working with CHA and engaging our lobbyists, the more grass roots opposition the State feels is the only chance we have to reverse this devastating path.

Thank you for your support.
John

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