Hospital depends on Medicare

To the editor:

As part of negotiations for an increase in the debt ceiling, some in Congress have advocated cutting $14 billion dollars in Medicare that supports rural hospitals. Such drastic cuts would completely decimate the rural health care system and harm rural seniors? ability to access care.

These cuts would greatly affect the Jefferson County Health Center. We need to tell our U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin and U.S. Congressman David Loebsack not to support these cuts.

Rural hospitals are vital for rural residents and senior citizen?s to receive timely and quality health care. Such devastating cuts could result in more than $1 million in cuts to a rural hospital such as JCHC each year, forcing many facilities to offer reduced services or worse. A closed rural hospital could result in a 20 percent loss of revenue in the local economy and in Jefferson County it would mean a loss of 200 or more jobs.

Jefferson County can?t afford these kinds of cuts to our rural health care system. Tell our members of Congress not to harm rural seniors and not to support these cuts. The Administration officials say there has to be an agreement by July 22 to give Congress enough time to pass it before Aug. 2, when the United States faces the prospect of defaulting on its debt.

Please take the time now to let our elected officials know that cutting rural health care should not be an option.

The National Rural Health Association recommends you call the following staff members, ask for them by name or leave them a message, letting them know you appose these cuts to the rural hospitals.

Sen. Grassley, Senate staff member Rodney Whitlock at 202-224-3744.

Sen. Harkin, Senate staff member Jenelle Krishnamoorthy at 202-224-3254.

Congressman Loebsack, House staff member Lisette Partelow at 202-225-6576. 

? Deb Cardin, CEO of Jefferson County Health Center