A viewpoint from Arroyo Grande Community Hospital President & CEO Rick
Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) and its local San Luis Obispo County hospital Arroyo Grande Community Hospital (AGCH), has long been a strong advocate for meaningful, comprehensive health care reform.
The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010, addresses the real problems in our health care system: too many people without coverage and the high cost of care for all.
But the benefits from this legislation won’t happen overnight; in fact, full implementation won’t occur until 2018, and some coverage provisions for the uninsured will be years before taking effect.
With the economy still in turmoil and unemployment rates in San Luis Obispo County topping 10.6 percent, the need for health care insurance is especially urgent today. So many jobless people go without medical coverage, and some struggling businesses have had to drop coverage for their employees.
Fortunately, community hospitals like ours provide a safety net for those most in need.
Years ago, CHW introduced one of the most generous payment-assistance plans in the nation, providing free or discounted care to individuals and families earning up to 500% of the federal poverty level (that’s $110,250 for a family of four in 2010).
During fiscal year 2009, CHW provided 1.2 billion dollars in charity care, community benefit programming, and uncompensated care. This includes more than nearly 10 million dollars by AGCH to our local residents.
But our efforts alone were not enough. In order to ensure that quality, affordable health care services are available to all, meaningful health care reform was necessary. We are pleased that the country is now on a path to providing access to health care to tens of millions more people, and making that care more affordable for all.
Now hospitals and the health care industry must meet the challenges posed by this legislation. CHW hospitals have been preparing for this change and have already taken major steps, such as investing in medical technology, electronic health records, our facilities, and our people, to serve the increasing need for quality health care. In fact, AGCH will soon be celebrating its recent accreditation as a Community Hospital Cancer Program.
Reform will accelerate the effort to make health care more integrated, more cost effective, and more available. As always, CHW and our local hospitals will continue to work with our national leaders, our excellent caregivers and staff, and the communities we are so fortunate to serve to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.
Respectfully,
Rick Castro, President & CEO
Arroyo Grande Community Hospital
