Tagged: medicaid

Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA2) is once again pushing for the Obama Administration to help Keokuk Area Hospital with its financial challenges.

All the yakking about a fiscal cliff seems to fall somewhere between mistaken Mayan prophecies about Doomsday and hypersonic skydiving from space.

The lame-duck 112th Congress – hamstrung by Tea Party Republicans in the House and filibuster-happy Republicans in the Senate – is proposing to Democratic President Barack Obama that Social Security, Medicare and other social services be cut. Meanwhile, the Economic Policy Institute has released a report with a solution: Cut the deficit by growing the economy.

Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) is helping in the effort to secure a key designation for Keokuk Area Hospital.

He sent a two-page letter, earlier this week, to the Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In it, the Congressman wrote of his support for the hospital’s appeal of the agency’s denial of Critical Access status for the facility.

CEO Wally Winkler says receiving that designation would help the hospital through some very difficult financial times.

Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock (R-18) says a provision of the Affordable Care Act prevents Illinois from enacting serious Medicaid reform. That provision prevents states from reducing benefits or tightening requirements to qualify for Medicaid.

The House has passed a measure to repeal that provision.

Schock says, “They (federal government) have Illinois trapped right now in a situation where they can't reduce their budget deficit, reduce their spending.”