Bartlett Regional Hospital could lose $3 to $4 million in federal funding under the House Republican bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
CEO Chuck Bill briefed the Juneau Assembly on Monday evening.
“It could be a several million dollar hit to Bartlett,” Bill said in an interview. “Primarily because they would repeal the Medicaid expansion and not replace it with the funds that we had to care for that population in the past.”
The House bill would allow people to deduct medical costs from their taxes. It would also roll back subsidies for most people and push more health costs to the states. Alaska has the highest health care costs in the nation.
The result would be higher levels of uninsured Americans. Bill said rural hospitals have benefited from Medicaid expansion, which helps cover those who normally can’t afford the full cost of insurance.
“If they repeal that, then we’re back to self-pay patients who we typically get 5 cents on the dollar verses 50 cents on the dollar for Medicaid.”
Bartlett Regional Hospital projects a $331,495 loss this fiscal year that it plans to make up from its own cash reserves. The hospital receives capital funding from the city and revenue from the city’s alcohol and tobacco taxes.
The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to vote Thursday on the bill. It would then go to the U.S. Senate. President Donald Trump says he supports it.
Editors Note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Bartlett Regional Hospital is not directly subsidized by the City and Borough of Juneau.
