Congress Approves SCHIP, MED Fix

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Congressman Cohen. “But our hard work has finally paid off in a big way for The MED. This is going to save The MED tens of millions of dollars a year and relieve a huge burden on taxpayers in the 9th District, and I am thankful that we were able to get this important legislation passed so soon in the session. This is a great day for Memphis and I thank my colleagues in both chambers as well as President Obama for helping us achieve our objectives for the Mid-South’s primary public hospital.”

Congressman Cohen, Senator Bob Corker (TN) and Shelby County Mayor AC Wharton will be at The MED on Monday to discuss the bill. A detailed media advisory will be sent to area media shortly.

Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the bill last Thursday:

This provision is long overdue. I’ve been working with my colleagues in the House and Sens. Alexander and Corker to create a “MED Fix” for nearly two years, and I’m very grateful to see it finally pass. I applaud both of our state’s U.S. Senators for their efforts to secure these provisions in the Senate’s finalized version of H.R. 2.

Without this permanent fix, the ability of safety net hospitals such as The MED to continue to provide essential services to the uninsured would have been severely affected, especially given the current economic situation.

The MED is treating escalating numbers of indigent, out-of-state patients (mostly from Arkansas and Mississippi), resulting in approximately $80 million in annual costs that must be covered by Tennessee taxpayers. This has put an enormous financial strain on the people of the 9th District, and this common-sense provision simply allows for neighbor states’ Medicaid programs to reimburse our public hospital for their citizens’ treatment.

Given The MED’s recent financial struggles and the deepening recession, this provision cannot be enacted soon enough. Nearly 30 years ago as a Shelby County Commissioner, I cast a vote for the creation of The MED as a public hospital that would serve everyone, and funding this venerable institution has been one of my highest legislative priorities since I arrived in Washington.

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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, 202-225-3265
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, 202-225-3265