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Background
With control of Congress changing hands from Republicans to Democrats, Congress likely will pursue some new and different approaches on any of a number of health care policy issues in 2007. Still, the Democrat-controlled Congress must work with a Republican administration, so one of the biggest challenges in Washington in 2007 will be finding ways to compromise.
While NAUH intends to respond aggressively and in a timely manner to any proposals, legislation, or regulations that have a potential impact on urban safety-net hospitals, the organization also will pursue its own agenda in 2007.
2007 Agenda
NAUH's overarching objective is to ensure access to care for the disadvantaged and elderly residents of the communities that our hospitals serve by working to secure adequate financing of government health care programs. While doing everything we can to represent the interests of urban safety-net hospitals and to respond to emerging issues, NAUH expects to focus on the following issues in 2007.
1. Advocate Special Payments for Urban Safety-Net Hospitals
2. Prevent Damaging Cuts in Federal Medicare Spending
3. Protect the Medicaid Interests of Urban Safety-Net Hospitals
4. Promote Access to Care
5. Advocate the Implementation of a Severity-Based Medicare DRG System
6. Monitor Consideration of Changes in the Medicare Area Wage Index System
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