Recent budget cuts at University Medical Center alongside layoffs has caused concern over the future of Clark County’s public hospital.
Medicaid enrollment is expanding under the Affordable Care Act. But, reimbursement from those services comes at a rate 30 percent lower than social services – resulting in a $15 million loss for the hospital. On top of that, the Clark County Commission isn’t going to bail out the hospital’s budget with emergency loans anymore.
To offset these losses, UMC recently closed several clinics and cut nearly 400 positions. As the public hospital for Las Vegas, UMC is the safety net for poor and uninsured residents.
The Affordable Care Act has pros and cons, most would agree, but why is University Medical Center now suffering more when more residents in southern Nevada are insured? And how many uninsured individuals still live in our community?
GUESTS
Larry Barnard, CEO, University Medical Center
Tom “TR” Reid, author, “Healing of America”
Steve Sisolak, chair, Clark County Board of Commissioners
Nick Spirtos, medical director, Women’s Cancer Center of Nevada
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