Asa Hutchinson: “Yes, the area wage index floor and base payment change proposals both enjoy broad bipartisan support. As I mentioned…”

“Yes, the area wage index floor and base payment change proposals both enjoy broad bipartisan support. As I mentioned earlier, 26 Senators have cosponsored the Area Wage and Base Payment Improvement Act. Elements of this legislation have also been included in legislative proposals introduced by both Senators, Grassley and Baucus, and I thank them for their leadership in this regard. The fact is that rural hospitals desperately need Congress to fix this inequity. These hospitals are a vital link in our Nation's health care safety net, and we must ensure that they are able to continue to offer quality health care services to rural Americans.”