May 18, 2009 6:52 pm US/Central
Regions, HCMC Hospitals Expect To Make Big Cuts
(WCCO)
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Hennepin County Medical Center and Regions agree that one of the most obvious places to cut is to limit who they treat.
CBS
There are two hospitals in the metro area that guarantee treatment to anyone who walks in the door, regardless of their ability to pay. Those hospitals are Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and Regions in St. Paul.
Both hospitals say with proposed budget cuts of at least 10 percent, the days of free care for anyone are about to come to an end.
"It's a sad day for Minnesota," said Regions CEO Brock Nelson.
Nelson worries about the compound effect of thousands losing health benefits and the reduction in services and programs his hospital and HCMC will have to make.
"Those who do not have an ability or a means to get health care to be left vulnerable without access is a terrible outcome," he said.
Hennepin County Medical Center and Regions agree that one of the most obvious places to cut is to limit who they treat. In the future it may be only people who live in Hennepin or Ramsey Counties who will be able to get free treatment at these hospitals.
The exception is emergency care. Hospitals are required to provide emergency treatment to anyone who needs it. Both Regions and HCMC say they have not decided which of their programs they will cut or may even have to eliminate.
"When you are looking at a cut of $40 to $100 million worth of revenue in your budget, it's going to seriously alter the landscape how we're going to be able to provide care to the disadvantaged, vulnerable and uninsured," said HCMC Medical Director Dr. Michael Belzer.
Both hospitals point out the numbers of uninsured are on the rise. Outside HCMC, WCCO-TV found Helen Fogg, a teacher's aide and mother of four who just lost her job and worries how the cuts will affect her.
"We will have to turn to the state for help for insurance and if programs like that is eliminated and you got things like H1N1 out here and parents who jump to a panic, were do you go if you are constantly going to get turned away?" said Fogg.
Both Hospitals say if the cuts do go through they will immediately begin evaluating and deciding which programs to cut.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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