HMH CEO Meets with Legislators in Washington DC

Howard Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Debra Wright recently met with legislators in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the Arkansas Hospital Association Council on Rural Hospitals. She met with Senator Boozman, Congressman Westerman, and Senator Cotton’s Domestic Policy Advisor to have a follow-up discussion regarding surprise billing legislation. Wright says the proposal would have harmful financial consequences that it would impose on rural hospitals.

Insurance companies may pay a patient directly or pay a provider an average fee in the future, which has physicians concerned. Wright says doctors are unable to negotiate fee schedules with insurance companies based on the area of practice.

Most hospitals incur significant bad debt expense in the emergency department due to under-insured and uninsured patients. HMH strives to protect the financial health of patients and provides billing estimates and other options to assist.

The local hospital has signed on to the letter from the Critical Access Hospital Coalition to the members of the House of Representatives asking for CAHs to be exempt from this legislation.