Othello Community Hospital faces huge cuts

OTHELLO - Othello Community Hospital faces nearly $1 million in potential budget cuts in the coming months.

Troubles for the hospital lie with the potential elimination of the Basic Health Plan (BHP) program, which provides $940,000 to Othello Community Hospital each year. 

Hospital Administrator Harry Geller testified before the Washington Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee Wednesday in support of the Basic Health Plan.

"We have the highest BHP utilization of any hospital in the state," Geller says. "Nine percent of people in Othello Community Hospital area use the BHP, which is significantly higher than the state number."

The Basic Health Plan provides low-cost health care coverage through private health plans, according to Washington Health Basic. Qualified residents can receive emergency care and prescription drugs as well as preventative care based on age, income, family size and the plan participants choose.

For the time being, BHP is no longer processing incoming applications to determine eligibility for the program and has officially implemented a waiting list in order to stay within the appropriated budget, according to Washington Health Basic. New applicants are placed on a waiting list behind those already on the current waiting list.

Geller says the waiting list for the BHP has around 136,000 names on it. 

"If the program goes away it will probably translate into more charity care and more bad debt," says Geller. 

In addition to Othello, other area hospitals would also be affected, Geller says. 

"For the hospital, it's our mission statement to take care of people," Geller says. "But we can understand the state's predicament, too."

The cash payments received from the plan ended Dec. 31 and the situation will remain unresolved until the legislative session ends in April. 

"We'll see what happens," Geller says. "We haven't enacted anything yet. If we have to make decisions our board will, and we'll make decisions in May or June. We're in the early planning stages at this point."