As a mother of seven, my family has seen its fair share of bumps and bruises. Whether it was a simple checkup or an urgent emergency, our local hospital systems have always been there to provide us with the care we needed. Families like mine rely upon hospital systems to receive a fundamental right that all human beings deserve: Access to quality healthcare, when and where we need it.
State Rep. Lydia Glaize
But in the current state of American healthcare, our hospitals face unprecedented challenges, inflicted on them both by Washington D.C. policy choices and by other stakeholders within the healthcare sector. We have allowed hospitals to be burdened with a cascade of unnecessary financial pressures, and it is jeopardizing the care they seek to provide patients. It is past time for hospitals to receive more substantial support through economic and legislative support at the federal level.
An article from the beginning of this year reported on the immense surge of patients in hospitals in metro Atlanta. This surge is reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pressure that crisis placed upon our hospitals. But while the pandemic may be behind us, it remains a daily reality that too many hospitals are struggling. These facilities have proven time and time again they will serve as the catch-all net for care. In recent years, hospitals have even begun offering non-traditional health services, such as mental health services, to be best equipped to treat any patient who walks through their doors.
As a representative for Georgia’s 67th House District, I have championed greater healthcare access for all my constituents. Much of my work has been directed toward enhancing Medicare and Medicaid coverage here in Georgia. I was shocked to learn how severely these programs consistently underpay our hospitals for the essential care they provide. In 2022, Medicare underpayments totaled $99.2 billion, a staggering gap that left hospitals holding the bag, due to severe lack of federal support for these programs. That same year, 67% of hospitals saw their overall Medicare margins go negative. These financial losses aren’t just hits to the healthcare economy. They directly threaten the quality of life for Georgia families and the quality of care hospitals can provide to everyday patients.
And this doesn’t include the charity and uncompensated care that hospitals provide to patients in need. A report from the Georgia Hospital Association found that our loyal hospital systems provide nearly $3 billion in uncompensated care to Georgians.
It is evident that hospitals put patients first, often at their own expense. Are we doing enough to put our hospitals first? Everybody knows we have to pay our fair share to medical providers so they can stay out of the red and we need federal support from leadership in Washington D.C. to make that happen.
Too many government leaders and other major healthcare stakeholders seem content to watch hospitals struggle as they are asked to provide more and more care as fewer and fewer resources come in. A Kaufman Hall report shared that hospital expenses remain significantly elevated from pre-pandemic levels. In 2022, Georgia hospital expenses were $7 billion higher than before COVID. Expenses towards salaries, medical and non-medical supplies, drugs, and purchased services have skyrocketed. Georgia hospitals have dealt with many of the same inflationary pressures as other businesses but are uniquely unable to pass along these cost increases to the payers that are meant to compensate hospitals. This is simply unsustainable if we want our hospitals to survive and thrive long-term. Legislators must take action.
It is easy not to worry about the strength of hospital care until you are the patient who doesn’t have access to a hospital bed during an emergency or when the service you desperately need was cut due to rising costs that left the hospital with no other choice. This effort concerns and requires everyone’s attention and support. I ask Congress, especially our Georgia leadership, to oppose legislation that forces legislation with negative consequences on our hospitals and stand for continued support for our hospital systems nationwide.
State Rep. Lydia Glaize, D-Fairburn, serves as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives representing District 67, which spans from Union City to Peachtree City. She has been Labor Liaison for United Way of Greater Atlanta and is a former city council member and mayor pro-tem of Fairburn.
