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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) hosted the first annual Ohio Hospital CEO Conference in Washington. Leadership representing smaller and more rural hospital systems throughout Ohio attended seminars to get updates on important federal programs relevant to hospitals, hear from Ohio lawmakers, and participate in a roundtable discussion with Brown on Ohio hospital priorities.

Brown invited the entire Ohio Congressional delegation to participate. At Brown’s invitation, Ohio hospital leaders heard remarks from Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), Ohio U.S. Representatives Bob Latta (R-OH-5), Bill Johnson (R-OH-6), Bob Gibbs (R-OH-7), and Marcy Kaptur (R-OH-9).

“Ohio hospitals strengthen local communities by keeping Ohioans healthy and creating jobs for local residents,” said Brown. “With so much uncertainty coming out of Washington, it’s important for Ohio health leaders to share their ideas and hear directly from their elected officials. Connecting Ohio hospitals with important tools and information can help healthcare providers boost local economies and better serve Ohio patients.”

Topics covered at the conference included Congressional advocacy, drug pricing policy, Medicare, and telemedicine technology. Conference participants represented Ohio hospital leadership in Bryan, Columbus, Gallipolis, Hicksville, Mt. Vernon, Paulding, Sidney, and Toledo.

“The day far exceeded my expectations. The truly impressive aspect of the conference was the bipartisan nature of the event. We got to hear from Sen. Brown, Sen. Portman, and Members of Congress representing Ohio hospitals. Healthcare is truly a bipartisan issue,” said Phil Ennen, CEO of Community Health and Wellness Centers in Bryan.

Brown has been a vocal champion of Ohio healthcare providers. In February, Brown helped secure a five-year extension of the Medicare Dependent Hospital (MDH) program and adjustment for low-volume hospitals. MDH provides enhanced reimbursement to support rural health infrastructure and to support small rural hospitals for which Medicare patients make up a significant percentage of inpatient days or discharges. This greater dependence on Medicare may make these hospitals more financially vulnerable, and the MDH designation is designed to reduce this risk. Qualifying low-volume hospitals receive add-on payments based on the number of Medicare discharges.

Last year, Brown also introduced bipartisan legislation to correct an unfair funding formula that results in lower Medicare reimbursement rates for hospitals in rural and low-wage areas. The Fair Medicare Hospital Payments Act of 2017 would create an “area wage index,” which accounts for the relative wages of the communities that hospitals serve when calculating Medicare reimbursement rates.    

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