Haddad: Mission-driven service and safety net solutions strengthen healthcare – Daily Independent

Mary Haddad

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By Mary Haddad | President and CEO, Catholic Health Association of the United States

In September, the nation reached an important milestone when the Treasury Department announced that 50 million Americans have gained health coverage through the Affordable Care Act since it took effect in 2014. The United States Catholic Health Association is proud to have been a consistent advocate to protect and strengthen America’s health safety net as part of our mission to provide quality care to the most vulnerable.

Public policy that supports a robust safety net is critical in partnering with mission-driven services in underserved and vulnerable communities. As Congress approaches year-end appropriations debate, elected leaders in Washington must prioritize expanding critical health and family safety programs to ensure continued access to affordable, quality care for all.

That’s why CHA is advocating for a critical extension of the enhanced premium tax credits that help millions of Americans gain access to health coverage before it expires next year. If Congress fails to make PTCs permanent — or at least extend them by one year — 4 million Americans are expected to lose coverage entirely, creating a cascade of negative health care system effects. Additionally, these individuals and small businesses participating in the insurance market will face significant price increases as issuers begin finalizing new rates in early 2025, as patients save an average of $700 per year due to improved PTCs.

As part of our commitment to strengthening our nation’s health safety net, we are also calling on Congress to reject cuts and structural changes to Medicaid funding that would cause millions of individuals, families and children to lose coverage.

Recent changes in eligibility criteria and the process of states opting out of Medicaid have already resulted in more than 25 million people being disenrolled as of September, leaving many Americans uninsured.

Catholic Health Systems is proactive in addressing this loss of coverage by providing educational resources to ensure that eligible low-income individuals and families can maintain coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Trinity Health, which serves 30 million patients in 26 states, sent more than 200,000 letters informing patients about the Medicaid redetermination rules and provided proactive financial counseling to help patients understand their health insurance options for each state in light of of the new eligibility criteria.

With Medicaid coverage hanging in the balance for millions of Americans, Congress must address the disproportionate share of Medicaid hospital cuts that will take effect Jan. 1, reducing support for hospitals that serve large numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients by 8 billion dollars. As Catholic hospitals account for nearly 1 million Medicaid discharges annually from nearly 4.5 million admissions, our systems have served as a lifeline for economically disadvantaged patients in underserved areas.

Such cuts would be devastating at a time when hospitals serving low-income and rural populations are already bearing the costs associated with losing Medicaid coverage during the post-COVID redistricting process.

Congress also has an important opportunity to fix the burdensome new nursing mandate for long-term care facilities issued this year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. While we support adequate nursing staffing to ensure the well-being of nursing home residents, the new rule is unenforceable and could harm residents and nursing facilities, potentially forcing facilities to close if there are not enough nurses to meet the mandate .

Congress should include legislation to prevent CMS from implementing this rule, as it would exacerbate the problems created by under-reimbursement and national health care workforce shortages, leaving some of our most vulnerable seniors without the compassionate and careful care they need.

Since their founding in the 19th century, Catholic health care institutions have been focused on fulfilling their mission to provide affordable, high-quality, and compassionate health care regardless of patients’ ability to pay. For decades, Catholic Health Care has set a high standard when it comes to caring for people with the greatest needs—whether in our facilities or in our neighborhoods.

To ensure that we can maintain and exceed this high standard—and continue to provide high-quality, accessible, and affordable health care—Congress must do its part to preserve the critical safety net that allows us to continue our mission work to serve those in greatest need.

Editor’s note: Sister Mary Haddad is president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcome [email protected].