PORT ANGELES — Olympic Medical Center has seen widespread support across Clallam County in its effort to block a federal proposal that could cut Medicare reimbursements by $47 million over the next decade.
Several organizations and agencies have thrown their support behind OMC, including the Port Angeles and Sequim city councils, commissioners for Clallam County and the Port of Port Angeles, the Port Angeles Business Association and others.
During a forum Tuesday, CEO Eric Lewis spoke to about 50 people who were asking his advice for what they should include in their letters to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency proposing a 60 percent cut to Medicare reimbursements for off-site clinics.
Comments are due by Monday. Lewis said a decision is expected in November. To comment on the proposed regulations, visit regulations.gov or mail written comments to Seema Verma, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-1695-P, P.O. Box 8013, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
Plenty of comments
“CMS is going to get a lot of comments, but we’re trying to get Clallam County, Sequim and Port Angeles on the map, because if they don’t consider us, they’ll just finalize it,” he said.
“They’re thinking of Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane and we’re a completely different market.
“The good news about comments is I’ve seen CMS change their proposed regulations dozens and dozens of times based on comments,” Lewis said.
He said that out of the 3,700 hospitals across the country, about 100 rural hospitals would be impacted and 50 hospitals could see significant cuts.
Lewis told them that Olympic Medical Center is the only rural hospital in the state that would be affected and that’s because of its Sequim campus and its clinic on Eighth and Vine streets in Port Angeles.
If the services at those clinics were provided on OMC’s main campus, the public hospital would not be facing cuts.
One woman told Lewis it seems the proposal is more about saving money than about benefiting patients.
“If the patients are that important, just make sure the reimbursement stays the same,” said the woman, who was not identified. “The people are going to be feeling this.”
Another, also unidentified, said she would not want to drive to Kitsap County or Seattle for a wellness appointment and that OMC should not face cuts because it provides off-campus services.
“A lot of us can’t afford the drive,” said another. “And the inconvenience is huge.”
“Or have a car,” said another.
“That’s the type of thing CMS needs to hear — from real people with real lives,” Lewis said. “CMS will listen. The people at CMS care.”
Lewis said that OMC staff has not considered what services would be affected if the cuts go through, saying that instead they are putting their efforts into changing the plans.
He urged them to write letters to CMS about how the cuts could affect patients locally and to urge CMS to consider excluding “rural sole community hospitals” from the proposal.
“If we get enough letters in they will strongly consider them,” he said. “There’s very few things that are bipartisan in health care, but the one thing that really is is rural health care. Both parties support rural health care.”
Lewis said the problem is that in general Medicare underpays doctors, not that OMC is overpaid.
“The challenge private practice has is Medicare and Medicaid underpay,” he said. “It’s not that we’re getting paid too much, it’s that [private practice physicians] are being paid too little.”
Lewis said OMC has been in discussions with representatives of U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, who represents the 6th Congressional District which includes the North Olympic Peninsula; U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Seattle, and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Mountlake Terrace.
Lewis said that though Congress has no jurisdiction over the matter, he believes the proposal would not move forward if it required a vote of the House and Senate.
He said senators are signing onto a letter to CMS concerning the regulations.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
