What Opinion Leaders Are Saying AboutMedicaid Funding for Hospitals The Faces of Medicaid

in Connecticut

Connecticut Hospital Association

StrugglingConnecticut has hospitals

that are struggling with

ongoing operating losses.

These losses directly

affect their ability to rein-

vest in their facilities and

expand services. A hospi-

tal must earn sufficient

income to improve facili-

ties and replace equipment

as they become worn out

or obsolete, to keep pace

with technological

changes, and to meet the

changing health care

needs of the community.

—Annual Report on the

Financial Status of

Connecticut’s Short-Term

Acute Care Hospitals,

Connecticut Office of

Health Care Access

“…state payments to compensate hospitals for the careof the poor fall some $250 million short each year ofmeeting the hospitals' costs. Even with some of thosecosts being shifted to those with private insurance, theshortfall has placed some hospitals in financial jeopardyand has diminished investment in new medical technol-ogy and patient care systems. The formula for compen-sating hospitals needs to be revised.”

—New Haven Register, January 14, 2007

“Increasing Medicaid reimbursements is action the state’slegislature can take right now to help Connecticut’shospitals. It is action long overdue, would provideimmediate financial relief and help rid hospital number-crunchers of the annual task of shifting costs…any helpwill be appreciated, because at the moment the hospi-tals are hemorrhaging. It simply does not make sensefor Connecticut’s non-profit hospitals to start with anautomatic deficit every year. If that deficit is reduced bysacrifices in medical technology, scrimping on staffingand postponing other treatment advances, it’s thestate’s consumers—patients—who suffer. Fixing Medicaidpayments is therefore also a move toward providingbetter health care.”

—Record-Journal, February 19, 2007

“This inexcusable shortchanging by the state only exac-erbates the fiscal difficulties hospitals face due to risingenergy, labor and insurance costs. Hospitals can't affordto provide the best care, and the latest medical technol-ogy, if they are cash strapped.”

—New London Day, January 2, 2007

“Connecticut ought to be concerned about health care.Indeed, data has shown more than 400,000 individualsin the state lacking health insurance, a significant num-ber of them relying on emergency rooms when theycannot put off treatment. But at the same time, stateofficials need to focus on health of another type—the fiscal well-being of the facilities providing thecare….[There is] a strong argument for reforming thereimbursement system, as well as for making otherchanges to ensure that Connecticut residents haveaccess to the modern medical facilities they need nowand in the future.”

—Stamford Advocate, January 26, 2007

“Before lawmakers even think about embarking on univer-sal health care or imposing more unreimbursed expenseson doctors and hospitals, they must shore up the exist-ing system and make sure the state pays its fair share.”

—Waterbury Republican-American, March 16, 2007

“Here are some elements [of health reform] that ought to beat the top of the legislature's to-do list: Increase Medicaidpayments. Poor people aren't getting access to adequatecare because the government reimbursement rate hasnot kept up with escalating costs. Besides being fair to doctors who treat patients for less than cost andincreasing patient access to care, raising the rate wouldfiscally strengthen hospitals and treat illnesses beforethey become emergencies...”

—Hartford Courant, April 15, 2007

110 Barnes Road • Wallingford, CT 06492 • 203 665-7611 • www.cthosp.org

What Opinion Leaders Are Saying AboutMedicaid Funding for Hospitals The Faces of Medicaid

in Connecticut

Connecticut Hospital Association

StrugglingConnecticut has hospitals

that are struggling with

ongoing operating losses.

These losses directly

affect their ability to rein-

vest in their facilities and

expand services. A hospi-

tal must earn sufficient

income to improve facili-

ties and replace equipment

as they become worn out

or obsolete, to keep pace

with technological

changes, and to meet the

changing health care

needs of the community.

—Annual Report on the

Financial Status of

Connecticut’s Short-Term

Acute Care Hospitals,

Connecticut Office of

Health Care Access

“…state payments to compensate hospitals for the careof the poor fall some $250 million short each year ofmeeting the hospitals' costs. Even with some of thosecosts being shifted to those with private insurance, theshortfall has placed some hospitals in financial jeopardyand has diminished investment in new medical technol-ogy and patient care systems. The formula for compen-sating hospitals needs to be revised.”

—New Haven Register, January 14, 2007

“Increasing Medicaid reimbursements is action the state’slegislature can take right now to help Connecticut’shospitals. It is action long overdue, would provideimmediate financial relief and help rid hospital number-crunchers of the annual task of shifting costs…any helpwill be appreciated, because at the moment the hospi-tals are hemorrhaging. It simply does not make sensefor Connecticut’s non-profit hospitals to start with anautomatic deficit every year. If that deficit is reduced bysacrifices in medical technology, scrimping on staffingand postponing other treatment advances, it’s thestate’s consumers—patients—who suffer. Fixing Medicaidpayments is therefore also a move toward providingbetter health care.”

—Record-Journal, February 19, 2007

“This inexcusable shortchanging by the state only exac-erbates the fiscal difficulties hospitals face due to risingenergy, labor and insurance costs. Hospitals can't affordto provide the best care, and the latest medical technol-ogy, if they are cash strapped.”

—New London Day, January 2, 2007

“Connecticut ought to be concerned about health care.Indeed, data has shown more than 400,000 individualsin the state lacking health insurance, a significant num-ber of them relying on emergency rooms when theycannot put off treatment. But at the same time, stateofficials need to focus on health of another type—the fiscal well-being of the facilities providing thecare….[There is] a strong argument for reforming thereimbursement system, as well as for making otherchanges to ensure that Connecticut residents haveaccess to the modern medical facilities they need nowand in the future.”

—Stamford Advocate, January 26, 2007

“Before lawmakers even think about embarking on univer-sal health care or imposing more unreimbursed expenseson doctors and hospitals, they must shore up the exist-ing system and make sure the state pays its fair share.”

—Waterbury Republican-American, March 16, 2007

“Here are some elements [of health reform] that ought to beat the top of the legislature's to-do list: Increase Medicaidpayments. Poor people aren't getting access to adequatecare because the government reimbursement rate hasnot kept up with escalating costs. Besides being fair to doctors who treat patients for less than cost andincreasing patient access to care, raising the rate wouldfiscally strengthen hospitals and treat illnesses beforethey become emergencies...”

—Hartford Courant, April 15, 2007

110 Barnes Road • Wallingford, CT 06492 • 203 665-7611 • www.cthosp.org

The Faces of Medicaid Underfunding Medicaid ThreatensHealthcare Access for EveryoneEveryone in a community suffers when a hospital is strug-gling financially—if a hospital is forced to reduce or eliminateservices and lay off workers, it is not just Medicaid patientswho are affected.

The fact is that Connecticut hospitals lose money on everyMedicaid patient they treat. For every dollar of healthcareservices provided to a Medicaid patient, Connecticut hospi-tals are reimbursed only about 72 cents. Nationally, theMedicaid reimbursement rate to hospitals is approximately86 cents.

The total hospital cost for care provided to Medicaid patientsin 2005 was $848 million, the State Medicaid programpaid hospitals only $606 million for that care. This meansa total loss to hospitals of $242 million for the treatment ofMedicaid patients.

The costs of underfunding are also borne by businessesthroughout Connecticut. When the State doesn’t pay its fairshare toward caring for Medicaid patients, the cost forhealthcare services and coverage increases for employers—the major source of health insurance coverage for peoplein Connecticut—as well as for their employees.

Faces of the Uninsured—Those NotEligible for MedicaidWhen patients show up at the door of a Connecticut hospital,they receive the highest quality of care, regardless of theirability to pay for those services.

• 1 in 10 people in Connecticut do not have health insurance.

• 61% of the uninsured are working but cannot affordhealth insurance.

• 8.2% of Connecticut’s children are uninsured.

• Every hour, 20 people without health insurance come toa Connecticut hospital emergency room or inpatient unitin need of healthcare services.

• In 2005, Connecticut hospitals treated 176,000 patientsin the emergency room or as inpatients who did not havehealth insurance.

• Connecticut hospitals, in 2005, provided $518 million infree care to individuals without insurance and to coverthe shortfalls from underfunded government programs.

The Value of MedicaidConnecticut’s Medicaid program ensures nearly half a millionConnecticut residents have access to quality healthcareservices when they need them, where they need them.Helping to keep people healthy and well translates into amore productive workforce for the Nutmeg State.

But that’s not all.

Connecticut hospitals are major contributors to the state’seconomic health—they contribute nearly $11.4 billion annu-ally to the state and local economies—about 5.9% of theGross State Product. Hospitals in Connecticut, often thelargest employer in their communities, provide 70,000 jobsstatewide, generating approximately $6.2 billion in annualpayroll. Through the purchase of many goods and services,hospitals generate approximately $5.2 billion annually inlocal economic activity.

Increasing Medicaid funding—half of which is paid for by thefederal government—will help create jobs in Connecticut.Federal matching of state Medicaid dollars represents newmoney infused into Connecticut’s economy.

Strengthening the Safety Net for AllConnecticut ResidentsThere’s a great deal of discussion today about health reform—both in Connecticut and in Washington, D.C. The absolutefoundation of any reform plan must be expanding access tohealthcare coverage and care and decreasing the growingnumber of individuals without health insurance.

Equally important to health reform is ensuring that the currentsystem that cares for all patients, regardless of ability to pay,is stable and strong. A cornerstone of caring in Connecticutis its not-for-profit hospitals, which are located in communi-ties across the state. But, these vital community resourcesare struggling to stay financially healthy. A first step tostrengthening Connecticut’s hospitals—the safety net for allConnecticut residents—is ensuring that hospitals receive thefull cost for services they provide to Medicaid patients.

More Than Likely, You Know Someone Who Benefits from Connecticut’sMedicaid Program

• 1 in 9 people in Connecticut are enrolled in Medicaid.

• The faces of Medicaid are the faces of our parents and grandparents. The elderly and disabledaccount for 77% of Connecticut’s Medicaid expenditures.

• 29% of the people treated and released from emergency departments are Medicaid enrollees.

• 1 in 3 children in Connecticut are enrolled in Medicaid.

• The faces of Medicaid are the faces of children and their parents. They make up approximately76% of Medicaid patients, but account for only 22% of the state’s Medicaid expenditures.

• Medicaid covers 25% of births in Connecticut.

The Costs of Caring for Medicaid Patients

• Connecticut’s Medicaid budget is approximately $4.5 billion. Hospital care accounts for about14% of the total dollars spent on Medicaid.

• Each year Connecticut spends approximately $1,900 per child on Medicaid, $2,300 per adult,$21,000 per blind or disabled person, and $20,200 per elderly person (acute and long-term care).

Jarius’StoryJarius Trexler isa Manchesterflooring contrac-tor. He workslong days, anddevotes nearly 50 hours weekly to his job in order to makeends meet.

Jarius works for a start-up company andbecause of that, he is uninsured. But Jariusnever gave it a second thought, until the day of his 25th birthday.

“I felt like someone blew up my lungs with aballoon; it became real tight, and it was hardto breathe,” explains Jarius. “I knew some-thing was seriously wrong.” He was rushed toSaint Francis Hospital in Hartford. After a bat-tery of tests and CT scans, doctors discovereda tumor in Jarius’ chest. A biopsy later con-firmed it was, in fact, cancerous.

Jarius is receiving “Charity Care” from SaintFrancis, the assistance provided to the unin-sured. A case worker was assigned to Jarius tohelp him obtain medical benefits and Medicaidassistance, and the Hospital is now assistingJarius with the application process for socialsecurity disability.

“It’s difficult having to worry about my healthat 25, let alone how I am going to pay for all of the doctors’ efforts to help me in myrecovery. There’s not a day that goes by that Idon’t think about that. I know that I willrecover from my illness. But the financialstrain still has me very worried.”

Sal’s StorySalvatore “Sal” Raiti is a proud man. Despite his ongoing battle with hepatitis C,the 48-year-old single father of two from Bridgeport wants to continue workingand pay his own bills. He had a job that provided health insurance until he waslaid off in the middle of last year. His employer offered Sal COBRA coverage so hecould continue to pay for health insurance on his own, but the premium of morethan $200 a month was too great for him to afford. At one point Sal dipped intohis retirement fund to help make ends meet.

Sal landed a new job later in the year, but it didn’t come with a health insurance plan. Paying for the high cost ofhealth coverage entirely out of his own pocket would have been impossible given his other living expenses.

Faced with a serious illness that requires expensive medications, Sal turned to Bridgeport Hospital for care. As apatient in the hospital’s Primary Care Center, Sal is known as a self-pay patient—that is, he is uninsured. He doesnot meet the eligibility guidelines for Medicaid. Sal pays Bridgeport Hospital what he can, which is far short of theactual cost of his care, and the hospital must absorb the loss.

Nurse case manager Kim Bielecki and her colleagues at Bridgeport Hospital are doing everything they can to provideSal with the healthcare he needs. They’re also trying to find him help with his medical and prescription expenses.For example, Kim worked with one pharmaceutical company to obtain financial aid for Sal’s medication.

Sal’s plight is shared by dozens of other patients at Bridgeport Hospital and some 46 million others without healthinsurance across the country. He’s glad that the hospital is there for him as a safety net. “I receive extremely goodcare from (Chief of Gastroenterology) Dr. (George) Abdelsayed and the entire staff,” he says.

Data gathered from following sources:ChimeData, Connecticut Hospital AssociationConnecticut Office of Health Care AccessConnecticut Voices for ChildrenKaiser Family Foundation statehealthfacts.orgNational Association of Children’s Hospitals/American Academy of Pediatrics

The Faces of Medicaid Underfunding Medicaid ThreatensHealthcare Access for EveryoneEveryone in a community suffers when a hospital is strug-gling financially—if a hospital is forced to reduce or eliminateservices and lay off workers, it is not just Medicaid patientswho are affected.

The fact is that Connecticut hospitals lose money on everyMedicaid patient they treat. For every dollar of healthcareservices provided to a Medicaid patient, Connecticut hospi-tals are reimbursed only about 72 cents. Nationally, theMedicaid reimbursement rate to hospitals is approximately86 cents.

The total hospital cost for care provided to Medicaid patientsin 2005 was $848 million, the State Medicaid programpaid hospitals only $606 million for that care. This meansa total loss to hospitals of $242 million for the treatment ofMedicaid patients.

The costs of underfunding are also borne by businessesthroughout Connecticut. When the State doesn’t pay its fairshare toward caring for Medicaid patients, the cost forhealthcare services and coverage increases for employers—the major source of health insurance coverage for peoplein Connecticut—as well as for their employees.

Faces of the Uninsured—Those NotEligible for MedicaidWhen patients show up at the door of a Connecticut hospital,they receive the highest quality of care, regardless of theirability to pay for those services.

• 1 in 10 people in Connecticut do not have health insurance.

• 61% of the uninsured are working but cannot affordhealth insurance.

• 8.2% of Connecticut’s children are uninsured.

• Every hour, 20 people without health insurance come toa Connecticut hospital emergency room or inpatient unitin need of healthcare services.

• In 2005, Connecticut hospitals treated 176,000 patientsin the emergency room or as inpatients who did not havehealth insurance.

• Connecticut hospitals, in 2005, provided $518 million infree care to individuals without insurance and to coverthe shortfalls from underfunded government programs.

The Value of MedicaidConnecticut’s Medicaid program ensures nearly half a millionConnecticut residents have access to quality healthcareservices when they need them, where they need them.Helping to keep people healthy and well translates into amore productive workforce for the Nutmeg State.

But that’s not all.

Connecticut hospitals are major contributors to the state’seconomic health—they contribute nearly $11.4 billion annu-ally to the state and local economies—about 5.9% of theGross State Product. Hospitals in Connecticut, often thelargest employer in their communities, provide 70,000 jobsstatewide, generating approximately $6.2 billion in annualpayroll. Through the purchase of many goods and services,hospitals generate approximately $5.2 billion annually inlocal economic activity.

Increasing Medicaid funding—half of which is paid for by thefederal government—will help create jobs in Connecticut.Federal matching of state Medicaid dollars represents newmoney infused into Connecticut’s economy.

Strengthening the Safety Net for AllConnecticut ResidentsThere’s a great deal of discussion today about health reform—both in Connecticut and in Washington, D.C. The absolutefoundation of any reform plan must be expanding access tohealthcare coverage and care and decreasing the growingnumber of individuals without health insurance.

Equally important to health reform is ensuring that the currentsystem that cares for all patients, regardless of ability to pay,is stable and strong. A cornerstone of caring in Connecticutis its not-for-profit hospitals, which are located in communi-ties across the state. But, these vital community resourcesare struggling to stay financially healthy. A first step tostrengthening Connecticut’s hospitals—the safety net for allConnecticut residents—is ensuring that hospitals receive thefull cost for services they provide to Medicaid patients.

More Than Likely, You Know Someone Who Benefits from Connecticut’sMedicaid Program

• 1 in 9 people in Connecticut are enrolled in Medicaid.

• The faces of Medicaid are the faces of our parents and grandparents. The elderly and disabledaccount for 77% of Connecticut’s Medicaid expenditures.

• 29% of the people treated and released from emergency departments are Medicaid enrollees.

• 1 in 3 children in Connecticut are enrolled in Medicaid.

• The faces of Medicaid are the faces of children and their parents. They make up approximately76% of Medicaid patients, but account for only 22% of the state’s Medicaid expenditures.

• Medicaid covers 25% of births in Connecticut.

The Costs of Caring for Medicaid Patients

• Connecticut’s Medicaid budget is approximately $4.5 billion. Hospital care accounts for about14% of the total dollars spent on Medicaid.

• Each year Connecticut spends approximately $1,900 per child on Medicaid, $2,300 per adult,$21,000 per blind or disabled person, and $20,200 per elderly person (acute and long-term care).

Jarius’StoryJarius Trexler isa Manchesterflooring contrac-tor. He workslong days, anddevotes nearly 50 hours weekly to his job in order to makeends meet.

Jarius works for a start-up company andbecause of that, he is uninsured. But Jariusnever gave it a second thought, until the day of his 25th birthday.

“I felt like someone blew up my lungs with aballoon; it became real tight, and it was hardto breathe,” explains Jarius. “I knew some-thing was seriously wrong.” He was rushed toSaint Francis Hospital in Hartford. After a bat-tery of tests and CT scans, doctors discovereda tumor in Jarius’ chest. A biopsy later con-firmed it was, in fact, cancerous.

Jarius is receiving “Charity Care” from SaintFrancis, the assistance provided to the unin-sured. A case worker was assigned to Jarius tohelp him obtain medical benefits and Medicaidassistance, and the Hospital is now assistingJarius with the application process for socialsecurity disability.

“It’s difficult having to worry about my healthat 25, let alone how I am going to pay for all of the doctors’ efforts to help me in myrecovery. There’s not a day that goes by that Idon’t think about that. I know that I willrecover from my illness. But the financialstrain still has me very worried.”

Sal’s StorySalvatore “Sal” Raiti is a proud man. Despite his ongoing battle with hepatitis C,the 48-year-old single father of two from Bridgeport wants to continue workingand pay his own bills. He had a job that provided health insurance until he waslaid off in the middle of last year. His employer offered Sal COBRA coverage so hecould continue to pay for health insurance on his own, but the premium of morethan $200 a month was too great for him to afford. At one point Sal dipped intohis retirement fund to help make ends meet.

Sal landed a new job later in the year, but it didn’t come with a health insurance plan. Paying for the high cost ofhealth coverage entirely out of his own pocket would have been impossible given his other living expenses.

Faced with a serious illness that requires expensive medications, Sal turned to Bridgeport Hospital for care. As apatient in the hospital’s Primary Care Center, Sal is known as a self-pay patient—that is, he is uninsured. He doesnot meet the eligibility guidelines for Medicaid. Sal pays Bridgeport Hospital what he can, which is far short of theactual cost of his care, and the hospital must absorb the loss.

Nurse case manager Kim Bielecki and her colleagues at Bridgeport Hospital are doing everything they can to provideSal with the healthcare he needs. They’re also trying to find him help with his medical and prescription expenses.For example, Kim worked with one pharmaceutical company to obtain financial aid for Sal’s medication.

Sal’s plight is shared by dozens of other patients at Bridgeport Hospital and some 46 million others without healthinsurance across the country. He’s glad that the hospital is there for him as a safety net. “I receive extremely goodcare from (Chief of Gastroenterology) Dr. (George) Abdelsayed and the entire staff,” he says.

Data gathered from following sources:ChimeData, Connecticut Hospital AssociationConnecticut Office of Health Care AccessConnecticut Voices for ChildrenKaiser Family Foundation statehealthfacts.orgNational Association of Children’s Hospitals/American Academy of Pediatrics

The Faces of Medicaid Underfunding Medicaid ThreatensHealthcare Access for EveryoneEveryone in a community suffers when a hospital is strug-gling financially—if a hospital is forced to reduce or eliminateservices and lay off workers, it is not just Medicaid patientswho are affected.

The fact is that Connecticut hospitals lose money on everyMedicaid patient they treat. For every dollar of healthcareservices provided to a Medicaid patient, Connecticut hospi-tals are reimbursed only about 72 cents. Nationally, theMedicaid reimbursement rate to hospitals is approximately86 cents.

The total hospital cost for care provided to Medicaid patientsin 2005 was $848 million, the State Medicaid programpaid hospitals only $606 million for that care. This meansa total loss to hospitals of $242 million for the treatment ofMedicaid patients.

The costs of underfunding are also borne by businessesthroughout Connecticut. When the State doesn’t pay its fairshare toward caring for Medicaid patients, the cost forhealthcare services and coverage increases for employers—the major source of health insurance coverage for peoplein Connecticut—as well as for their employees.

Faces of the Uninsured—Those NotEligible for MedicaidWhen patients show up at the door of a Connecticut hospital,they receive the highest quality of care, regardless of theirability to pay for those services.

• 1 in 10 people in Connecticut do not have health insurance.

• 61% of the uninsured are working but cannot affordhealth insurance.

• 8.2% of Connecticut’s children are uninsured.

• Every hour, 20 people without health insurance come toa Connecticut hospital emergency room or inpatient unitin need of healthcare services.

• In 2005, Connecticut hospitals treated 176,000 patientsin the emergency room or as inpatients who did not havehealth insurance.

• Connecticut hospitals, in 2005, provided $518 million infree care to individuals without insurance and to coverthe shortfalls from underfunded government programs.

The Value of MedicaidConnecticut’s Medicaid program ensures nearly half a millionConnecticut residents have access to quality healthcareservices when they need them, where they need them.Helping to keep people healthy and well translates into amore productive workforce for the Nutmeg State.

But that’s not all.

Connecticut hospitals are major contributors to the state’seconomic health—they contribute nearly $11.4 billion annu-ally to the state and local economies—about 5.9% of theGross State Product. Hospitals in Connecticut, often thelargest employer in their communities, provide 70,000 jobsstatewide, generating approximately $6.2 billion in annualpayroll. Through the purchase of many goods and services,hospitals generate approximately $5.2 billion annually inlocal economic activity.

Increasing Medicaid funding—half of which is paid for by thefederal government—will help create jobs in Connecticut.Federal matching of state Medicaid dollars represents newmoney infused into Connecticut’s economy.

Strengthening the Safety Net for AllConnecticut ResidentsThere’s a great deal of discussion today about health reform—both in Connecticut and in Washington, D.C. The absolutefoundation of any reform plan must be expanding access tohealthcare coverage and care and decreasing the growingnumber of individuals without health insurance.

Equally important to health reform is ensuring that the currentsystem that cares for all patients, regardless of ability to pay,is stable and strong. A cornerstone of caring in Connecticutis its not-for-profit hospitals, which are located in communi-ties across the state. But, these vital community resourcesare struggling to stay financially healthy. A first step tostrengthening Connecticut’s hospitals—the safety net for allConnecticut residents—is ensuring that hospitals receive thefull cost for services they provide to Medicaid patients.

More Than Likely, You Know Someone Who Benefits from Connecticut’sMedicaid Program

• 1 in 9 people in Connecticut are enrolled in Medicaid.

• The faces of Medicaid are the faces of our parents and grandparents. The elderly and disabledaccount for 77% of Connecticut’s Medicaid expenditures.

• 29% of the people treated and released from emergency departments are Medicaid enrollees.

• 1 in 3 children in Connecticut are enrolled in Medicaid.

• The faces of Medicaid are the faces of children and their parents. They make up approximately76% of Medicaid patients, but account for only 22% of the state’s Medicaid expenditures.

• Medicaid covers 25% of births in Connecticut.

The Costs of Caring for Medicaid Patients

• Connecticut’s Medicaid budget is approximately $4.5 billion. Hospital care accounts for about14% of the total dollars spent on Medicaid.

• Each year Connecticut spends approximately $1,900 per child on Medicaid, $2,300 per adult,$21,000 per blind or disabled person, and $20,200 per elderly person (acute and long-term care).

Jarius’StoryJarius Trexler isa Manchesterflooring contrac-tor. He workslong days, anddevotes nearly 50 hours weekly to his job in order to makeends meet.

Jarius works for a start-up company andbecause of that, he is uninsured. But Jariusnever gave it a second thought, until the day of his 25th birthday.

“I felt like someone blew up my lungs with aballoon; it became real tight, and it was hardto breathe,” explains Jarius. “I knew some-thing was seriously wrong.” He was rushed toSaint Francis Hospital in Hartford. After a bat-tery of tests and CT scans, doctors discovereda tumor in Jarius’ chest. A biopsy later con-firmed it was, in fact, cancerous.

Jarius is receiving “Charity Care” from SaintFrancis, the assistance provided to the unin-sured. A case worker was assigned to Jarius tohelp him obtain medical benefits and Medicaidassistance, and the Hospital is now assistingJarius with the application process for socialsecurity disability.

“It’s difficult having to worry about my healthat 25, let alone how I am going to pay for all of the doctors’ efforts to help me in myrecovery. There’s not a day that goes by that Idon’t think about that. I know that I willrecover from my illness. But the financialstrain still has me very worried.”

Sal’s StorySalvatore “Sal” Raiti is a proud man. Despite his ongoing battle with hepatitis C,the 48-year-old single father of two from Bridgeport wants to continue workingand pay his own bills. He had a job that provided health insurance until he waslaid off in the middle of last year. His employer offered Sal COBRA coverage so hecould continue to pay for health insurance on his own, but the premium of morethan $200 a month was too great for him to afford. At one point Sal dipped intohis retirement fund to help make ends meet.

Sal landed a new job later in the year, but it didn’t come with a health insurance plan. Paying for the high cost ofhealth coverage entirely out of his own pocket would have been impossible given his other living expenses.

Faced with a serious illness that requires expensive medications, Sal turned to Bridgeport Hospital for care. As apatient in the hospital’s Primary Care Center, Sal is known as a self-pay patient—that is, he is uninsured. He doesnot meet the eligibility guidelines for Medicaid. Sal pays Bridgeport Hospital what he can, which is far short of theactual cost of his care, and the hospital must absorb the loss.

Nurse case manager Kim Bielecki and her colleagues at Bridgeport Hospital are doing everything they can to provideSal with the healthcare he needs. They’re also trying to find him help with his medical and prescription expenses.For example, Kim worked with one pharmaceutical company to obtain financial aid for Sal’s medication.

Sal’s plight is shared by dozens of other patients at Bridgeport Hospital and some 46 million others without healthinsurance across the country. He’s glad that the hospital is there for him as a safety net. “I receive extremely goodcare from (Chief of Gastroenterology) Dr. (George) Abdelsayed and the entire staff,” he says.

Data gathered from following sources:ChimeData, Connecticut Hospital AssociationConnecticut Office of Health Care AccessConnecticut Voices for ChildrenKaiser Family Foundation statehealthfacts.orgNational Association of Children’s Hospitals/American Academy of Pediatrics

What Opinion Leaders Are Saying AboutMedicaid Funding for Hospitals The Faces of Medicaid

in Connecticut

Connecticut Hospital Association

StrugglingConnecticut has hospitals

that are struggling with

ongoing operating losses.

These losses directly

affect their ability to rein-

vest in their facilities and

expand services. A hospi-

tal must earn sufficient

income to improve facili-

ties and replace equipment

as they become worn out

or obsolete, to keep pace

with technological

changes, and to meet the

changing health care

needs of the community.

—Annual Report on the

Financial Status of

Connecticut’s Short-Term

Acute Care Hospitals,

Connecticut Office of

Health Care Access

“…state payments to compensate hospitals for the careof the poor fall some $250 million short each year ofmeeting the hospitals' costs. Even with some of thosecosts being shifted to those with private insurance, theshortfall has placed some hospitals in financial jeopardyand has diminished investment in new medical technol-ogy and patient care systems. The formula for compen-sating hospitals needs to be revised.”

—New Haven Register, January 14, 2007

“Increasing Medicaid reimbursements is action the state’slegislature can take right now to help Connecticut’shospitals. It is action long overdue, would provideimmediate financial relief and help rid hospital number-crunchers of the annual task of shifting costs…any helpwill be appreciated, because at the moment the hospi-tals are hemorrhaging. It simply does not make sensefor Connecticut’s non-profit hospitals to start with anautomatic deficit every year. If that deficit is reduced bysacrifices in medical technology, scrimping on staffingand postponing other treatment advances, it’s thestate’s consumers—patients—who suffer. Fixing Medicaidpayments is therefore also a move toward providingbetter health care.”

—Record-Journal, February 19, 2007

“This inexcusable shortchanging by the state only exac-erbates the fiscal difficulties hospitals face due to risingenergy, labor and insurance costs. Hospitals can't affordto provide the best care, and the latest medical technol-ogy, if they are cash strapped.”

—New London Day, January 2, 2007

“Connecticut ought to be concerned about health care.Indeed, data has shown more than 400,000 individualsin the state lacking health insurance, a significant num-ber of them relying on emergency rooms when theycannot put off treatment. But at the same time, stateofficials need to focus on health of another type—the fiscal well-being of the facilities providing thecare….[There is] a strong argument for reforming thereimbursement system, as well as for making otherchanges to ensure that Connecticut residents haveaccess to the modern medical facilities they need nowand in the future.”

—Stamford Advocate, January 26, 2007

“Before lawmakers even think about embarking on univer-sal health care or imposing more unreimbursed expenseson doctors and hospitals, they must shore up the exist-ing system and make sure the state pays its fair share.”

—Waterbury Republican-American, March 16, 2007

“Here are some elements [of health reform] that ought to beat the top of the legislature's to-do list: Increase Medicaidpayments. Poor people aren't getting access to adequatecare because the government reimbursement rate hasnot kept up with escalating costs. Besides being fair to doctors who treat patients for less than cost andincreasing patient access to care, raising the rate wouldfiscally strengthen hospitals and treat illnesses beforethey become emergencies...”

—Hartford Courant, April 15, 2007

110 Barnes Road • Wallingford, CT 06492 • 203 665-7611 • www.cthosp.org