Robin Rau, Miller County Hospital CEO The Colquitt Lions Club members got a first hand report on our local hospital Wednesday, January 20.

Lion President Luke Clearman called the meeting to order. The blessing was given by Lavon or Randy Clenney? after a delicious luncheon. This was followed by the Pledge to the Flag.

Program chairman for the month, Jeffery Bevis, introduced the feature speaker, CEO Robin Rau, Miller County Hospital and Miller Nursing Home.

CEO Rau told the Lion members, 'Only a few short years ago Miller County Hospital like many other rural hospitals received DSH funds (Disappropriate Share) and Upper Payment Limit funds from the state and federal government to help offset the losses incurred in treating Medicaid and Indigent patients. Funding for care of these groups is all but gone, in 2006 Miller County Hospital received $635,000 in Indigent Care Funds from the state, and in 2008 we received $220,000. Thus far we have received no funds for fiscal year 2009. Miller County Hospital provided $3.5m in uncompensated care in 2009, and $1.9m in 2008.

This county is consumed with the Presidents proposal for health care reform and the drain on taxpayers as a result of the cost of healthcare.

In my 30 years in Health Care Administration I have never been more convinced that the number one avoidable cost associated with the increase in healthcare expense is the practice of Defensive Medicine. Physicians all across America duplicate and provide increased testing on patients simply because they are concerned with the potential of frivolous law suits, because of the litigious nature of Americans.

Miller County Hospital like most rural hospitals is here to service the entire community, and provide excellent quality of care within our scope of practice. We are reimbursed by the Medicare & Medicaid programs at our cost, therefore there is no additional money coming back into the hospital to re-invest in medical technology or services from these programs. These insurances represent the bulk of the patients in which we serve. Outside of this population of patients there are only two other groups – privately insured patients and the self pay or uninsured population. The uninsured is typically a bad debt or no-payment, our only other resource or avenue in which to help offset our losses is from the insured groups of individuals (Blue Cross, United Health Care etc.)

Our hospital is extremely challenged now because of the huge increase in the uninsured, as our economy weakens, people loose jobs and their health insurance. The fact remains that our neighbors, family and friends who at one point were insured are now no longer and the hospitals self pay has more than doubled during the past year as a result.

The governor’s budget proposal to help offset the $1.2b budget shortfall is to tax hospitals at a rate of 1.6% of all net revenue or reduce Medicaid payments by 16.5%. This next year will be a huge challenge for us.

This community has a great hospital, most rural hospitals would not compare with the level of services we provide and the infrastructure we have in our facility. It is esthetically appealing as well as has the technology our community needs. The one thing our community can do to help sustain your hospital and help to ensure we are here in the future, is for those of you who have health insurance support the doctors who support your hospital, and use your hospital.