Posted on 03/30/2020 3:07:00 PM PDT by buckalfa
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Some hospitals in West Virginia are starting to have cash flow problems with the doing away of elective surgeries and other procedures due to the coronavirus.
West Virginia Hospital Association President Joe Letnaunchyn said many services normally offered are being put off in the current environment.
“The Surgeon General said cancel elective surgeries and you cancel electives, you cancel other related ancillary services and the revenue stream dries up,” Letnaunchyn said during an appearance Monday on MetroNews “Talkline.” “So we’re trying to find alternate ways to provide revenue to the hospitals in the interim until the federal bill gets going.”
Hospitals are expected to receive some funding under the federal stimulus package signed into law last week.
Charleston Area Medical Center is cutting back hours of employees is connection with fewer patients.
“Due to significant drops in the number of patients and procedures, CAMC has asked managers to adjust staffing to meet the reduced demands it is experiencing,” CAMC spokesman Dale Witte told MetroNews Monday afternoon.
Managers are temporarily reducing hours of some employees.
CAMC President and CEO David Ramsey said during an appearance last week on “Talkline” his hospitals had 150 empty beds.
Letnaunchyn said his organization’s coronavirus task force is seeking ways to help the hospitals in the state including an advance from Medicaid on reimbursements.
“We’re working with Medicaid right now to try and get some advance on Medicaid payments to some of the hospitals. We’re working as quick as we can to synthesize how to get money flowing on the federal bill passed by Medicare,” Letnaunchyn said.
West Virginia hospitals have been struggling in recent history because of a high number of patients that are covered by government insurance plans and small percentage of patients covered by commercial insurers. The reimbursement rate is lower with Medicaid and PEIA patients.
But now it appears to be just the lack of overall patient numbers that’s causing the issue.
Letnaunchyn said it’s difficult to predict how long it will last. He said the hospitals may face a surge of coronavirus cases. He hopes not but they will ready if it happens.
“All the messages to the public about the distancing, the hygiene, washing, maybe that’s going to pay off for us and we won’t have the surge but we have to plan like we’re going to or we won’t be prepared,” Letnaunchyn said.
One size does not fit all for 50 states as different from each other as we are.
Ok, so how much money in the next bailout package for hospitals affected by the plandemic, because it REDUCED their number of patients?
There's no reason a blanket rule should apply to the entire country unless it is truly required.
“No, they just cancelled all elective procedures.”
That was my point - they won’t get caught flat-footed. Obviously they have people paying attention to what’s going on.
Why cancel elective surgeries if there wasn’t a crisis yet in WV?
More damn hysteria and FR now is wall to wall full of these fear mongers! Sad to see a site I have been on for 20 years go downhill so fast!
And FR is full of these fear monger imbeciles!
Please stop. People concerned are not “fearmonger imbeciles.”
My daughter works for a company that processes medical claims. Their business is way down. No elective surgeries and visits for things like ortho and well checkups are way down. They may have to lay off some people.
I am concerned. The way most on FR are reacting goes WAY past that. Fear mongers is the nicest thing I can call them and not get booted.
I am concerned. The way most on FR are reacting goes WAY past that. Fear mongers is the nicest thing I can call them and not get booted.
In this case, it fits.
Depends on which state in flyover country. West Virginia has fewer cases than most so far.
Current number of non-repatriated cases by state
West Virginia
113
Cannot believe there is not a better way to balance the high Covid case states and those without.
I would think the Austin area would be a heavy colloidal silver territory with Alex Jones there. Of course, Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Kroger, etc, have all been selling it to the point of “out of stock” sales. That’s why we will probably continue to have lower than expected serious cases throughout the country, in my 25 years of being a CS user’s opinion.
A hospital system in Kentucky was going through the same problem last week. This is what happens when the media hubs of NYC and DC dominates all of the population. This “economic lockdown” should be done on a state/region/county level.
My BIL had to be rushed to the hospital several hours ago. They are not letting anyone in the ER except the patient. My SIL is sitting in the parking lot in her car and the ER people call her on the cell phone periodically. She took him to urgent care and they suspect sepsis so called the ambulance to take him to the ER. She says there is hardly anybody at the ER but they have tents set up outside for covid 19 but nobody around. So much for the huge epidemic.
I visited several local emergency rooms today. In Houston. All empty. There were many more people (in scrubs) outside sitting in chairs under tents than anywhere else. They all chatted with me and told me that nothing is happening.
“Beds empty, revenues slowed at hospitals in West Virginia; CAMC announces hours reduction measures”
hospitals in Colorado are literally empty as they canceled all elective procedures in anticipation of a massive surge of sick and dying that never came ...
There is a big difference between being "concerned" and the fear mongering that is going on here on almost every thread. I think the word "imbeciles" is rather sedate.
Hey, here’s an idea. 250$ for a Tylenol and 125.00$ for an aspirin.
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