The Charlotte Observer had an article yesterday about the nonprofit public hospital system Carolinas Health Care cutting $110 million from its budget next year, largely in management positions that are currently vacant.
The large hospital system cited the need for cuts as stemming from decisions by both North Carolina and South Carolina politicians to turn down federal Medicaid expansion dollars, as well as other decisions made at the state and federal level related to Medicaid and Medicare. The $4 billion hospital system — which operates 40 hospitals in the Carolinas and Georgia — says it’s been left treating large numbers of poor patients unable to access health insurance or pay their health bills.
North Carolina is one of 21 states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion, which would provide health care for an estimated 400,000 low-income North Carolinians who are currently uninsured. (Click here for updated list of where different states stand on expansion).
From the Observer article:
[Carolinas HealthCare CEO Michael} Tarwater blamed much of the financial stress on cutbacks in state and federal programs. For example, he said North Carolina legislators have for a second year declined to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid. That contributed to the system’s unreimbursed charges, which rose to $668 million in the first half of this year, an increase of 9.4 percent over last year.“We’re not treating this as a crisis … but it is a challenge,” Tarwater said. “I can assure you we have a solid plan, and we have the team in place to carry it out. I’m certain that we’ll emerge stronger and more competitive.”
You can read the entire article here.
