AGENCY TESTIMONY
Importance and challenges of safety net hospitals
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143 sec
Dr. Morse emphasizes the critical role of safety net hospitals in providing essential services and promoting health equity, while also highlighting the unique challenges they face due to the structure of the healthcare payment system.
- Stresses the indispensable role of safety net hospitals in ensuring access to healthcare for all, contributing to public health, supporting the economy, and building a more equitable healthcare system
- Explains how safety net hospitals are often under-resourced due to lower reimbursement rates for certain services and a higher proportion of patients with public insurance
- Highlights that safety net hospitals disproportionately provide essential but less profitable services such as maternal and neonatal care, mental health services, and injury care
- Notes that communities with unfair health outcomes are more likely to seek care at safety net hospitals, further straining their capacity
Dr. Michelle Morse
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In addition to my role as interim health commissioner, I'm a practicing physician at New York City Health And Hospitals, Kings County.
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A public institute institution that is located in a community that has inequitable health outcomes and will be deeply impacted by hospital closures.
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Supporting SafetyNet Hospitals has also been a focus of mine throughout my tenure at the New York City Health Department.
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The impacts of hospital closures are unfairly felt by communities that have faced decades of disinvestment.
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During the proposed closure of Simeon Downstate, the New York City Health Department shared concerns regarding this closure and advocated to the New York State Health Department for steps to limit harm to the local community and advance health equity in Brooklyn.
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A key recommendation included in the New York City Health Department's letter to the state was the development of an advisory board, which is currently being created and will be led by my colleague, the New York State Health Commissioner, Doctor.
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Jim McDonald.
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I will now provide an overview of our sentiments.
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Firstly, the importance of safety net hospitals cannot be overstated.
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They provide indispensable services that ensure access to healthcare for all individuals contribute to public health, support the economy, and help build a more equitable healthcare system.
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Their role is fundamental in promoting the health and well-being of communities, particularly those that are in most need.
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Secondly, safety net hospitals are often under resourced at baseline because of how the healthcare payment system is built.
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Most notably, some services such as specialty care are reimbursed at higher rates than other services and commercial or private insurance also reimburses at higher rates than public insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare.
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In addition, essential services such as maternal and neonatal, mental health and injury services are disproportionately provided by safety net hospital.
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However, these essential services are less profitable placing financial strain on safety net hospitals that disproportionately provide them.
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People in communities with unfair health outcomes are more likely to be hospitalized and are more likely to seek care at safety net hospitals, straining safety net hospital capacity.
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To despite these headwinds, safety net hospitals continue to provide high quality care.
