Form in rural and underserved areas. Cms recognizes challenges faced by beneficiaries and providers in rural areas. I look forward to working with hrsa and the congress delivering quality care to Medicare Beneficiaries regardless of their location. Thank you again and im happy to answer your questions. Thank you both. Let me answer a couple of questions and well do fiveminute rounds here. Mr. Morris, the department the budget the administration submitted would have cut your budget by 20 million. Did you ask for that cut . Mr. Chairman, we support the president s budget and the request that came forward. We think it supports the key programs for our office. Includes continued funding for the outreach program, the rural hospital flexibility program. For our policy and Research Activities and we think those are the programs that can be most effective meeting the needs. Where are you going to spend 20 million less than you are spending this year . The president s budget there is a decrease
Any real meaning in the real world . I mean, isnt the reality that when we say we are reimbursing more than costs, we only reimburse not all costs are reimbursable. We create this impression that a hospital is getting more than what it costs them to operate. Is there analysis . Can you quantify really what is going on in a hospital when we tell them or when we tell the public that your hospital is getting 101 of costs when its really reimbursable costs . Yeah, that is a as you know, thats a very complicated question. You know, it goes back to the historical costs of the hospital and if they converted to critical access, what those historical costs feed into, what they would be paid under the ch reimbursement status. So it does vary from state to state. But i would be happy to get back with you and also with your staff. We can connect you with some of the folks at the university of North Carolina as well some of our experts to better understand it. In todays setting i would welcome that
Early investments in child health and nutrition are crucial. The time period from pregnancy through Early Childhood is one of rapid physical, cognitive emotional and social development and because of this this time period in a childs life can set the stage for a lifetime of good health and success in learning and relationships or it can be a time of toxic stress when physical, mental, and social health and learning are compromised. Micronutrients such as iron and folate have demonstrated effects on Brain Development but are commonly deficient in pregnant women and Young Children in the united states. These deficiency cans lead to delays in attention motor development, poor shortterm memory and lower i. Q. Scores. One of the most Effective Investments congress can make during the prenatal to school age period is to support the special Supplemental Nutrition Program for women, infants and children, or wic and i thank the committee for its strong bipartisan support for wic over the past f
Test new models of telehealth without regard to the geographic barriers and some of the other statutory restrictions. We have a number of very interesting telehealth models that are being tested currently including the health link model i mentioned in my testimony. Thank you very much. Senator moran . Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Thank you for you and senator murray having this hearing. A very important one certainly from a senator from kansas. But really for the country. Let me start with mr. Morris. Tell me what statistics are there that demonstrate over a period of time how many rural hospitals are closing or being in addition to that are threatened to close. Ive seen an ap story just in the last few days indicating that 50 rural hospitals have closed that expectations for more a total of 50 hospitals in the rural u. S. Have closed since 2010 according to the ap. And the pace has been accelerating with more closures in the past two years than the past ten. This is according to
In Rural Communities, and we think the need is largely met in that program, not only through federal funding, but through state and private sector funding, but we do allow people to come in through our outreach funding to get at the same issue. They could come in for outreach funding or Network Funding for a request in the budget and do the same thing in the sense they can develop a program that seeks to purchase supplies and put them in the communities. The remaining need out there, it can be met through the outreach program. And the hospital Improvement Program youd continue is a 25 Million Program . Yes, sir. That in the current Year Spending 25 and preparing another 25 next year . Correct . The 20 this year for similar purposes goes away in the president s budget . Yes. The program, theres no request for that, funded historically at 15 million and the other 5 million is request for emergency devices program. What are the what obstacles do you see in telehealth. We have people telli