Mental-health bill may close clinics

MOSES LAKE - Congressman Doc Hastings, R-4th District, expressed concern again for the future of Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and its clinics.

The House of Representatives passed a mental-health bill Wednesday. Included in the legislation is a provision prohibiting physician-owned hospitals from receiving Medicare or Medicaid payments.

"Congress should increase access to health care, not penalize and shut down hospitals like the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center that provide care in rural, under-served communities," Hastings stated.

The medical center operates Moses Lake Clinic and Royal City Clinic.

Hastings brought up similar concerns last year with a Medicare bill, which included a provision stopping Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and its clinics from receiving Medicare and Medicaid payments. The bill was not approved by Congress.

"It's a similar intent on the part of the same leadership to effectively eliminate physician-owned hospitals," said Wenatchee Valley Medical Center Board President and CEO David Weber.

Weber said the threat to the hospital now is virtually identical to the threat posed in the Medicaid bill.

In anticipation of last year's legislation, the center discussed multiple options for staying in business. Becoming a not-for-profit facility, or becoming a not-for-profit and merging with another organization were the options being considered.

Weber said the same options are being considered.

"Basically, we're in a hold pattern until we find out what happens with that legislation," he said.

A third option, to sell Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, was eliminated from the list.

Weber said he was not surprised by the passage of the bill in the House.

"We knew this was coming. We knew the odds of Doc (Hastings) being able to introduce any amendments to the bill was slim to none," Weber said.

Hastings stated he offered amendments in a House Rules Committee ensuring the medical center could continue serving patients. Democratic party leadership would not allow the amendments to be considered on the House floor, Hastings claims.

He spoke against the bill on the House floor Wednesday.

"The reach of this bill goes far beyond mental-health parity," he said. "The $1.3 billion dollar cost it would impose on businesses providing health care to employees is an issue that is not addressed, or any loss of care that may result from new government mandates contained in the bill is also not addressed. The reach of this bill stretches deep into the ability of doctors to provide care to patients across this country through a $3 billion dollar cut in health care to Americans served by doctor-owned hospitals."

Weber commended the efforts of Hastings and Sen. Maria Cantwell in working to protect the medical center.

"They have worked exceedingly hard on this," he said.

He noted another bill this summer is expected to include similar language.

The medical center serves 41-percent Medicare patients and 12-percent Medicaid patients.