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First Congressional District of New Mexico
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ask.heather@mail.house.gov

In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax

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Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico


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Wilson Introduces Bill to Improve Access to Health Care for Low-Income New Mexicans March 18, 2003
 
Bill gives hospitals greater resources to care for Medicaid beneficiaries and the uninsured



Washington, DC - Congresswoman Heather Wilson has introduced a bill today that would result in an additional $35 million a year for New Mexico Hospitals. The Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program is America’s primary source of support for safety net hospitals that serve the most vulnerable populations - Medicaid beneficiaries, the uninsured and the underinsured. For many hospitals, Medicaid DSH is the sole reason they are able to remain open to provide care.

Unfortunately, extremely “low DSH” states, like New Mexico (with Medicaid DSH allotments less than 1% compared to the national average of 8%) receive far less federal funding through the Medicaid DSH program than the rest of the nation and this lack of funding threatens the viability of many of our safety net hospitals. This legislation increases the federal Medicaid DSH allotment in “low-DSH” states from 1% to 3% of program costs.

“New Mexico needs to be treated fairly by our federal health care programs,” said Wilson. “As Congress debates solutions, our nation’s hospitals continue to serve patients. We need to make sure Medicaid DSH funds are adequate to serve patients.”

In addition to supporting a broad range of otherwise-uncompensated health services for uninsured and underinsured children and adults, Medicaid DSH funds support primary and special ambulatory care as well as specialized services used by the entire community, not just the poor. These services include: trauma and burn care, pediatric intensive care, high-risk neonatal care and emergency psychiatric services. Medicaid DSH funds are also essential in funding the readiness of safety net systems for man-made or natural disasters. When tragedy strikes, all Americans expect hospitals to be able to provide the emergency and specialized services they need.


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