Ron Kind: “This motion speaks to a fundamental problem that has existed in rural America in particular for many, many years; and…”

“This motion speaks to a fundamental problem that has existed in rural America in particular for many, many years; and coming from western Wisconsin, the Third Congressional District that I represent, I have devoted a lot of my time to try to deal with the inadequacies of Medicare reimbursement that have adversely affected my rural hospitals. This motion would ask for raising the average standardized amount for hospitals in rural areas, as well as raise the physicians' work geographic index. Why is this important? Well, rural hospitals have been suffering for a long time. Sixty percent of the rural hospitals in my district and throughout the country are not receiving adequate Medicare reimbursement to cover the costs of treating Medicare recipients. Over the last 25 years, we have lost 475 rural hospitals which have gone out of business, partly due to the fact of the inadequacy of the Medicare reimbursement formula. On average, my rural hospitals receive about 25 percent less than the average Medicare reimbursement throughout the country. This is a serious issue that needs serious attention.”