Obamacare Cutbacks Shut Hospitals Where Medicaid Went Unexpanded

[Tony_FLADEM]

Pam Renshaw had just crashed her four-wheeler into a bonfire in rural Folkston, Georgia, and her skin was getting seared in the flames. Her boyfriend, Billy Chavis, pulled her away and struggled to dial 911 before driving her to the nearest place he could think of for medical attention: an ambulance station more than 20 miles away.

The local public hospital, 9 miles from the crash, had closed six weeks earlier because of budget shortfalls resulting from Obamacare and Georgia’s decision not to expand Medicaid. The ambulances Chavis sought were taking other patients to the next closest hospital. It took two hours before Renshaw, in pain from second- and third-degree burns on almost half her body, was flown to a hospital in Florida.

At least five public hospitals closed this year and many more are scaling back services, mostly in states where Medicaid wasn’t expanded. Patients in areas with shuttered hospitals must travel as far as 40 miles (64 kilometers) to get care, causing delays that can result in lethal consequences, said Bruce Siegel, chief executive officer of America’s Essential Hospitals, a Washington-based advocacy group for facilities that treat large numbers of uninsured or low-income patients.

“Everyone in a community will be affected,” Siegel said. “We could see the end of life-saving services, and patients would bear the brunt.”

Hospitals have dismissed at least 5,000 employees across the country since June, mostly in states that haven’t expanded the joint state-federal Medicaid health program for the poor as anticipated under the U.S. health overhaul known as Obamacare. Hospitals like the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee and Indiana University Health are among providers seeking cost savings in areas such as cancer treatment, mental health and infant care.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-25/obamacare-cutbacks-shut-hospitals-where-medicaid-went-unexpanded.html

[JoePhilly]

1. So Obamacare is responsible for red state Goveners not expanding Medicaid in

their states.

Ok.

[Puzzledtraveller]

8. except

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Maps-and-Data/Medicaid-Expansion-Map.aspx

[jwirr]

10. Exactly. Isn't Georgia one of states not expandig Medicaid?

[JoePhilly]

13. Probably. The funny thing I've heard is that even in the red states that have not expanded

Medicaid, enrollment has gone up because people who did not know they were already eligible found out that they were and signed up just because everyone is talking about the ACA.

[Skidmore]

2. Perhaps these people should take it up with the governors and legislators of their states

who insisted on shutting it all down.

[HereSince1628]

16. Do you suppose they could expect more support from DC than WI got for its recall?

I mean, there isn't going to be a 3rd term so, dang what is there to lose in filling the campaign promise to put on walking shoes to defend the people's interest?

[Skidmore]

20. There comes a time when the people need to step up

and defend their own interests. It just might start by selecting better candidates and voting for them. It also might start with educatinfmg themselves rather than ruminating on the pap fed to them by right wing talk media.

[HereSince1628]

24. Yes there does,

but there also comes a time to fulfill promises

The governors and legislatures aren't red without reason. Flipping the govs mansions and the legislative houses isn't something that can be solved with flippant commentary.

It requires people guiding democratic politics at the state level who have a whole lot more ability than say, Wisconsin's Mike Tate, arguably the worst state democratic chair this century.

That really is going to require input, and input of a lot more than money, from outside these states that need to change their governors and legislators.

[Scuba]

30. Mike Tate has to be a mole, planted by conservatives.

Incompetence alone can't explain Mike Tate.

[Bandit]

3. Closed six weeks ago because of a program that has not even gone into effect yet??????

I call BS....

[DevonRex]

21. Bullshit Bloomberg Propaganda being spread like manure.

You hit the nail on the head. Also, in rural areas practically everybody lives far from a hospital. Thus the term rural. We lived in a town without a hospital half my life and had to drive to another state for emergency care.

There's a guy in town with a chopper but first you had to find him & hope he was sober.

[elleng]

4. Resulting from Georgia’s decision not to expand Medicaid,

THAT is the story.

[FarCenter]

5. My sister has lived for over 50 years farther than 40 miles from the nearest hospital.

There is nothing remarkable about that.

Tough times forcing Charlton Memorial hospital in Folkston, Georgia, to close

FOLKSTON, Ga. -- A hospital that has four decades of service in Folkston is entering its last week of caring for residents in Southeast Georgia and parts of Northeast Florida.

Charlton Memorial following a vote by the hospital board is preparing to suspend medical services starting this Friday, August 30.

A sign on the front door of the 25 bed nonprofit hospital tells visitors that "financial instability" is behind the decision.

"Tons of old debt approaching $6 million...and we've struggled to keep up with current obligations," said H.D. Cannington explains why the medical facility is financially troubled.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/325465/3/Tough-times-forcing-Folkston-hospital-to-close

I don't see how this can be blamed on Obamacare. Sounds like financial mismanagement.

[madrchsod]

6. bloomberg slants another story about obamacare?

what else is new?

hospitals are seeking cost cutting because millions that used to have good paying jobs are no longer employed. charity donations and tax write offs have`t kept up with demand.

then there`s this..

an estimated 1.7 million people will file medical bankruptcies this year.

[cbdo2007]

7. Looks like there is another hospital 30 minutes away....not to mention that driving your 4-wheeler

into a bonfire is incredibly stupid.

[Blanks]

14. I wasn't gonna say anything, but since you brought it up...

Is that what country folks are doing now?

When they aren't shooting their guns, that is...

[Hoyt]

27. Was probably a KKK cross burning.

[etherealtruth]

9. Ummm exactly when does "obama-care" go into effect?

[Fumesucker]

19. Obamacare has already saved tens of thousands of lives, I read it right here on the DU

[eqfan592]

22. It's saving my sister in laws life.

She was able to stay on her father's insurance longer and has a serious heart condition.

[Fumesucker]

25. Sorry, we will need far more details before we can possibly accept this story as true

On a more serious note, I'm glad your sister in law is getting helped and I hope for the best for her and all those who love and care for her.

[eqfan592]

26. LOL! Thanks :)

I'll also point out that she'll have an easier time getting her own healthcare once she can't stay on her fathers any more (her job doesn't offer it).

Not saying the ACA is perfect (SOOOOOOOO far from it) just highlighting a particular success story

Ironically, my father in law refuses to acknowledge any of this and is about as anti-Obama and anti-healthcare reform as they come. Mother in law on the other hand knows what's going on.

[pinto]

11. There seem to be some gaps in this story as reported.

Why didn't the 911 call go through? Is there a flaw in the local 911 system? Did the Sheriff's department call a burn care hotline? Who flew the patient to a burn center? I assume it was a medi-vac type transport. If so, pain management ought to have been available as well as basic burn care en-route.

Apparently a lot of cracks in the local systems beyond the hospital closure. Locally, seriously burned patients are routinely flown to a regional burn center - highly specialized care - 138 miles away. Obviously an assessment is made before transport and pain / wound care measures are taken prior to and during transport.

Something fell apart, it seems, in the local links. Glad to see that the woman made it safely to a hospital with a burn care department and is recovering.

Sorry to see what I feel is shoddy reporting on the whole picture.

[BlueStreak]

12. This move toward third world status brought to you by the Supreme Court, which

enjoys the best in health care.

[annabanana]

15. And the media in all those places are blaming it

on the ACA.

How can we get the word out that it's their craven Governors fault?

[HereSince1628]

17. re the refuse to expand to parity treatment for mental illness

IIRC, part of the parity law now being enforced goes back more than a decade.

[MerryBlooms]

18. The Cleveland Clinic is not laying off employees because of ACA and has asked for this lie

to be corrected.

"the Cleveland Clinic is not laying off any employees. Eileen Sheil, Cleveland Clinic's Executive Director of Corporate Communications, said in an e-mail to Media Matters, "There have been several mis-reports and they keep mentioning that we're laying off 3,000 employees. We're not." Sheil explained that Cleveland Clinic is offering voluntary retirement to 3,000 eligible employees and that the Clinic is also "working on many initiatives to lower costs, drive efficiencies, reduce duplication of services across our system and provide quality care to our patients." Sheil continued, "Many of these initiatives do not impact our employees."

Sheil told Media Matters that Fox had been notified of its error and that the Cleveland Clinic requested Fox's future reporting on the issue more accurately present the Clinic's plans. According to a Media Matters search, Fox had not corrected its mistake by the time of publication.

Despite Fox's reporting, Sheil reiterated the Clinic's support for the Affordable Care Act, stating:

'We believe reform is necessary because the current state is unsustainable. The ACA is a step toward that change and we believe more changes will come/evolve as there are still many uncertainties. Hospitals must be responsible and do what we can to prepare and support the law.' "

I wouldn't be surprised if other allegations in that Bloomberg article were also false.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/11/25/fox-blames-obamacare-for-fictional-layoffs-at-c/197048

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

23. Those compassionate conservatives.

Or is it comepissonit conservatives?

[Gothmog]

28. Texas is going to feel the consequences of Goodhair's stupid decision to not expand Medicare

The Democratic members of my county's Commissioner's Court (the governing body for counties in Texas) voted to recommend the acceptance of the medicaid expansion because of the adverse impact on local hospitals

[spanone]

29. no, your governor refused to take federal money that was handed to him to give to you.

he said 'fuck my constituents'