photo courtesy of Pixabay user 1662222
(SEATTLE) According to a recent survey, hospitals around the state have taken a financial punch for the third quarter in a row, and some leaders of smaller hospitals are saying they can’t sustain current levels of care too much longer.
During the first 9 months of 2022, hospitals across the state lost 1.6 BILLION dollars. Money is part of a triple whammy threatening levels of care in the state.
“The capacity challenges, the financial challenges, and the demand for care are rather overwhelming,” says Cassie Sauer, director of the Washington State Hospital Association.
Sauer recently told the Rotary Club of Seattle her group plans on pushing lawmakers when the reconvene in Olympia next month to push for more Medicare reimbursement for both short term patients and those patients requiring longer stays.
“There are new options for increased federal funding to hospitals. This would not require a tax on Washington or a tax on insurers in Washington state,” Sauer told the Rotary audience.
Without the money, she says their latest survey finds that some hospital systems will run out of money next year. At best that means loss of certain services.
At worst, it could mean closing the doors altogether at some smaller hospitals.
