FAH President and CEO Chip Kahn released the following statement in reaction to the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on health care costs:

“Despite hours of testimony and discussion at today’s hearing, one fact can’t be ignored – Medicare only pays hospitals 84 cents on the dollar for the care provided to beneficiaries. The policy changes proposed will result in Medicare payment cuts making it even more difficult for rural hospitals to stay afloat and for other hospitals to sustain the level of services patients depend on and deserve.

“At the same time, we support reforms that not only foster integrated systems as part of competitive health care markets, but which provide patients with usable price transparency information. We also appreciate the bipartisan commitment to avoiding cuts to critical Medicaid DSH payments.”