FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 19, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT: 

e: brian.phillips@mail.house.gov

c: 202.913.0126

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) introduced H.R. 2665, the Supporting Safety Net Hospitals Act, bipartisan legislation to amend Title XIX of the Social Security Act to eliminate pending cuts to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments.

“Medicaid DSH payments are critical for hospitals that provide care to millions of Americans, where they serve a disproportionate number of low-income and uninsured patients. The pending cuts in funding would not only strip my district of $692.5 million in essential healthcare funding, but would also deprive hospitals nationwide of more than $5 billion from Medicaid DSH funding and leave the most vulnerable Americans at risk. I’m proud to reach across the aisle to stand with my colleagues on behalf of this vital legislation,” said Congresswoman Clarke (NY-09).

“I’m proud to lead this bipartisan legislation to protect safety net hospitals across the Houston area. This bill will ensure access to care for our most vulnerable patients and the hospitals who serve them,” said Congressman Crenshaw (TX-02).

“Ensuring access to quality healthcare is of paramount importance to the well-being of millions of Americans, particularly those who rely on essential hospitals to receive the care they need,” said Congressman Burgess, M.D (TX-26). “The proposed Medicaid DSH cuts, a vestige of very poor policy included in the Affordable Care Act, pose a significant threat to the ability of these hospitals to fulfill their safety net mission. We must prevent these cuts and safeguard access to care for individuals and families in communities across the nation.”

“If these cuts go into effect, it will have a devastating impact on hospitals across the U.S. It’s imperative that Congress act now to prevent these cuts from occurring to ensure patients across the country can continue to access the care they need,” said Congresswoman DeGette (CO-01).

“Medicaid DSH cuts are a looming threat to health care access for millions of Americans and to the ability of essential hospitals to meet their safety net mission,” said Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH, president and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals. “We thank Reps. Clarke, Crenshaw, DeGette and Burgess for their bipartisan leadership to stop these damaging cuts and protect access to care in communities across the country.”

“The Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) program is an essential funding stream for safety net hospitals and the vulnerable patients and communities they serve,” said Kenneth E. Raske, President of the Greater New York Hospital Association. “Securing a delay of the severely harmful Medicaid DSH cuts scheduled to occur in October is critical to the survival of our financially struggling safety net hospitals. The entire hospital community thanks Representatives Clarke, Crenshaw, DeGette, and Burgess for their leadership on this vital issue.”

“If allowed to take effect, the impending Medicaid DSH cuts would have a devastating impact on already strained hospitals that care for our most vulnerable populations,” said Bea Grause, RN, JD, President of the Healthcare Association of New York State. “We applaud Rep. Clarke for leading the way in the House to avert these massive reductions by introducing the Supporting Safety Net Hospitals Act. We appreciate her longstanding commitment to preserving access to care and stand with her in this critical effort to protect New York’s hospitals and health systems and the patients they serve.”

The full text of the legislation is available here.

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Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has been in Congress since 2007. She represents New York’s Ninth Congressional District, which includes Central and South Brooklyn and serves as First Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.