State Lawmakers To Get Earful When Considering Medicaid Cuts
FORT WORTH (1080 KRLD) - State lawmakers are bound to get an earful tomorrow from one North Texas hospital official who wants to stop them from making cuts to Medicaid.
Robert Early is the CEO of JPS Health Network in Fort Worth. He says he can't just close his doors to people who show up at his facility. He's concerned that the 10 percent proposed cuts in Medicaid and mental health services would be a disaster for them.
JPS is a safety-net for other hospitals, and it has the only psychiatric facility in Tarrant County. He predicts the cuts would cost the hospital more than 8 million dollars, because more doctors will refuse Medicaid patients and wind up in his emergency room.
"It's the most costly service a hospital can provide," Early says if the cuts are made, "they'll have to start making cuts of their own..which will mean more people to serve and less people to serve them."
He says ultimately the patient will lose. Early himself was on the State legislature for 11 years, so he understands the tough choices lawmakers will have to make in cutting the budget. But given the nature of his business...he hopes they look to make cuts elsewhere.
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Phyllis Smith reporting for 1080 KRLD
