Note: this editorial was published in the February 5, 2022 edition of the Toledo Blade.
The reversal of fortune at the University of Toledo Medical Center continues with a recently announced increase in the Medicare reimbursement rate.
That change will net another $25 million for UTMC, the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital. The increase was approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That could become an annual number. The money was granted as part of the CMS Supplemental Payment program to offset the hospital’s uncompensated care costs for Medicaid services, according to Blade reporter Jeff Schmucker.
That’s good news for Medicaid patients as well as the medical center. About 20 percent of UTMC’s patients use Medicaid, Dr. Gregory Postel said. And Medicaid doesn’t reimburse at the same rate as private insurances.
The added funds will free up UTMC to treat more patients in need and increase quality care while not draining resources. The money will help upgrade equipment, among other positives.
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) helped procure some of the funding, along with Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran and Gov. Mike DeWine.
“Today will go down in history as the day we helped secure the future of The University of Toledo Medical Center,” Ms. Kaptur said. “UTMC is a foundational pillar of our region. Every day, countless hospital staff, doctors, nurses, professors, and students mask up and show up to deliver the life-sustaining and lifesaving care our community needs, particularly those who are most underserved.”
It’s all part of the revival underway at UTMC for the past two years. Things looked bleak ,but a coalition of local folks and university leaders came together to turn things around.
It goes to show what a determined group of folks can achieve even when things seem impossible. UTMC can prosper and will prosper — with continued focus on a grand coalition between faculty, staff, and the public.
It was a long struggle and it’s not quite time to declare victory, but UTMC is getting there.
Continued vigilance and dedication can continue and assure progress.