Florida providers worry they might not be ready to serve a potential influx of Zika-infected patients. The concerns come after four patients became the first known cases to be infected by mosquitoes in the continental U.S.
Last week, state health officials said there was a “high likelihood” the mosquitoes came from the Miami-Dade County area. Providers say outbreaks in impoverished areas might be difficult to manage. Many safety net hospitals in states such as Florida that serve a large share of poor and uninsured patients are preparing for reductions in disproportionate-share hospital, or DSH, payments. The payments are designed to help augment revenue for hospitals with a large mix of those patients.
The CMS has been pushing back on DSH payments since many uninsured patients were supposed to gain coverage through Medicaid expansion.
But 19 states, including many Southern states where the Zika virus is most likely to take hold because of climate and breeding conditions, have not expanded Medicaid. That could leave safety net hospitals in those regions without the resources to deal with outbreaks.
Safety net hospitals “often are the first place patients turn during a public health crisis,” said Beth Feldpush, senior vice president of policy and advocacy for America's Essential Hospitals, which represents hospitals that serve vulnerable populations.
Congress left for its summer break without passing a bill to fund efforts to combat the virus.
