Hastings concerned for Moses Lake Clinic

Says Medicare bill could close three area clinics

MOSES LAKE - Congressman Doc Hastings, R-4th District, spoke to the Moses Lake Rotary Club about issues facing the Moses Lake Clinic and Royal City Clinic Wednesday afternoon.

He said both medical centers are operated by the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and may face closure if a provision prohibiting Medicare payments from facilities that are more than 40 percent doctor-owned passes into federal law this year.

Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, which operates the Moses Lake Clinic and Royal City Clinic, is a doctor-owned business.

Hastings said the law appears to be aimed at urban specialty physicians.

He said the proposed law came to his attention when clinic representation contacted him.

Hastings recalls trying to find the clause with his staff in the rules committee at 1 a.m. He said he sorted through a several-hundred-page document with one hour to find it.

The statement to prohibit doctor-owned facilities from collecting Medicare reimbursements is in a bill referred to as the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). He said SCHIP is an approach to provide subsidized health care to children funded by a block grant controlled at a state level.

Hastings said the Medicare provision was removed from the bill but claims Democrat leaders are persistent in passing the provision into law.

Hastings said he expects the Senate to pass a Medicare reform bill by next week. It is unclear what will be included in the bill.

He claims Democrats have a philosophy to enhance health care but he said he does not understand how the proposed law follows the philosophy.

"It takes guts for a congressman to go against something that is perceived as something wonderful," Moses Lake Clinic Administrator David Olson said.

He thanked Hastings for recognizing the Medicare provision in the SCHIP bill.

Hastings said the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center was started in 1940 by three doctors and eventually expanded across the Columbia Basin. Approximately half of the patients rely on Medicare, he said. The facilities are doctor-owned.

Hastings urges citizens to get in touch with their local senator representation to express concerns over the proposed provision. Sen. Jan/a Holmquist represents Moses Lake and can be contacted at 360-786-7624.