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Ohio Valley fairs better in Senate bill

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By Kelly Mori, Staff Writer 5:47 PM Thursday, November 19, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — Ohio Valley Medical Center investors are relieved by the proposed U.S. Senate version of the health reform bill, which removes a restriction that could prevent the hospital from accepting Medicare or Medicaid patients, officials said Thursday, Nov. 19.

The House version of the bill, which passed on Nov. 7, prohibits any physician-owned hospital that was not up and running by January 2009 from participating in Medicare or Medicaid.

The Senate bill, presented Nov. 18, amended that date to Feb. 2010.

Ohio Valley, which received its license in July, would lose about 40 percent of its client-base if the house version was adopted in the final, compromised bill, said Steve Esentrager, Ohio Valley administrator.

While he’s relieved, Esentrager said Ohio Valley’s investors are still concerned about language in the bill that would greatly restrict physician-owned hospitals’ ability to expand.

“Restrictions on future growth in both bills would make it practically prohibitive for OVMC to add additional operating rooms or additional overnight stay rooms,” he said. “It is critical that community members and business leaders contact congress immediately to support Ohio Valley’s ability to continue to provide access for Medicare and Medicaid patients.”

Not everyone agrees, however. The American Hospital Association lobbied legislators in July to put the restrictions on physician-owned hospitals, stating that such for-profit hospitals siphon the most profitable services from non-profit hospitals, leaving the latter holding the bag when it comes to providing less profitable services to under-insured and uninsured individuals.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0347 or kmori@coxohio.com.

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