Sen. Bill Hagerty, thank you for protecting Tennessee’s hospitals | Opinion

In the culture of Washington politics, it seems holding fast to principle can be a challenge, particularly when it is the right thing to do.

But earlier this year, Tennessee’s U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty showed it can be done, even in the midst of a contentious legislative session.

The United States Congress was working toward the reconciliation package, which ultimately passed, and while at the same time, the Biden administration was pushing to expedite the confirmation of its Department of Health and Human Services Agency nominees for appointment.

Senator Hagerty was faced with a choice: roll over and support the administration’s nominees because it would be easy to do or use his power of confirmation to fight against an early version of the reconciliation bill that could have – and likely would have – decimated hospitals in Tennessee.

At the time, the reconciliation package included a $100 billion cut in funding that helps pay for access to healthcare for Tennessee’s poorest residents. The Disproportionate Share Hospital funding program helps pay for the cost of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and hospitals to provide care for people who need care but can’t afford it. This cut – made without input from the medical community – would have devastated rural and safety-net hospitals and the communities where they are located.

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Hospital closures are devastating

As rural and urban Tennessee hospitals continue to dig out of the financial devastation, labor shortages and massive inflationary supply cost pressure left behind by the pandemic, each organization’s commitment to caring for all patients is unwavering.

Already, many hospitals throughout the nation have begun to cut services, limit capacity and, unfortunately, close entirely. This is not speculation. It is already happening.

Recently, a major metro hospital in Atlanta, Georgia – one that served a large number of uninsured patients – closed its doors. And when this happens in rural communities, the effects are pronounced – with studies showing deaths in the community increase, economic viability of the community suffers and vitality of the community deteriorates.

Any further cuts to programs that help these hospitals keep access to care available will no doubt lead to even more closures than have already occurred.

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Why Hagerty’s position mattered

The post-pandemic reality for hospitals — especially those serving large numbers of Medicare, Medicaid and uninsured patients, just like in Northeast Tennessee and in other large regions of Tennessee — is dangerously fragile.

It is critical our national leaders understand this and remain attentive to these issues. Absent a deliberate effort to resolve these problems, they will solve themselves – through closures and a loss of access for rural America, which comprises 85% of America’s land mass.

In a 50-50 split Senate, Sen. Hagerty could have easily made a safe choice. But instead of taking the easy, backslapping path, he made a decision to stand firm for Tennessee’s access to care for her most vulnerable people.

On behalf of one of Tennessee’s important safety-net healthcare systems, we thank Sen. Bill Hagerty and hope he will continue to have our back.

Alan Levine is chairman and CEO of Ballad Health.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Senator Hagerty, thank you for protecting Tennessee’s hospitals