Clarification: Commissioners Court Discusses Local Fees, Federal Funding For Hospitals
By Autumn Wright
Editor’s Note: San Marcos Corridor News was informed of a clarification by Hays County yesterday afternoon. Hays County’s clarifications have been incorporated into the article below and are in blue, bold & underlined.
Hays County Commissioners held a public hearing Tuesday morning to discuss the possible implementation of a mandatory public hospital fee. (Yesterday’s complete Hays County Commissioners Court Agenda.)
If the action is to be authorized, the county will begin to receive the fee in 2016 and the funds will go to the State of Texas and qualify for matching funds. The matching funds are available through the Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program, otherwise known as the 1115 waiver. The1115 waiver program was negotiated between the State and Federal Governments, said Lon Shell, Hays County chief of staff. In return, the federal government will provide more money throughout the year for programs the hospitals may need in the future.
The hospitals’ payments will be comprised of six percent of net patient revenue, Shell said. He said the hospitals’ administrators have said they are happy to comply with the fee and are in full support of the legislation that created the program in order to receive the funds, which will be used to offset millions of dollars in uncompensated care.
Shell said he wanted to assure citizens that the fee would not affect taxpayers. “This is strictly funds of hospitals in the county,” Shell said.
Bert Cobb, Hays County Judge, said only the county’s public hospitals would pay and benefit from the fee. In order to get services from the government, someone has to pay for the price, Cobb said.
Dan Lyons, citizen of San Marcos, said there is “no such thing as free money” and he fears the payment could put patients out of the hospital. Patients will suffer because six percent of their medical bills will go toward the fee. Shell responded by pointing out that not only are the Hospitals prohibited from increasing charges to recoup the fee, but that they actually receive the funds back through the 1115 waiver program.
Cobb said it is important to implement the fee so the federal government will supply additional funding for programs the hospitals may need in the future.
Overall, the fee will benefit the Hays County community, Cobb said.
This story was originally published in the University Star.
