Florida providers worry they might not be ready to serve a potential influx of Zika-infected patients. The concerns come after more than a dozen Floridians became infected by mosquitoes in the U.S.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said evidence indicates mosquito-borne transmissions occurred within a few blocks in Miami. The CDC has warned people to avoid travel to the area.
Providers serving populations identified as being the most vulnerable—those living in areas with inadequate housing conditions—say they face challenges because of reductions in disproportionate-share payments.
The CMS has said DSH payments are less necessary as more patients should be covered through Medicaid expansion. But 19 states have rejected expansion, including many southern states where the Zika virus is most likely to take hold because of climate and breeding conditions.
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.
Congress left for its summer break without passing a bill to fund efforts to combat the virus, which has been linked to microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads.
