Kent’s Hospital at Home program has proven to be a success improving the recovery of patients and freeing hospital beds for those in need of more acute care. On Thursday as he met with doctors and top level Care New England staff, U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner thought the program could serve as a model for hospitals across the state. 

But with the government shutdown, the program was placed on “pause.” All 10 patients who were recovering at home returned to the hospital.

The reason, it was explained to Magaziner, who had completed a tour of the hospital’s Acute Care for Elderly unit, is that while the program has been running smoothly, it requires federal oversight and that would be interrupted by the shutdown.

Magaziner may not have thought he would hear this as he looked for stories about the impact of Republicans’ cut to Medicaid, which provides health insurance for 15 million Americans, and failure to extend health care premium subsides under the Affordable Care Act next year that Magaziner said would affect 22 million Americans, including 40,000 Rhode Islanders who are not covered by an employer’s plan or Medicaid or Medicare but rather have commercial insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act through HealthSource RI.

Magaziner called the impact of the cuts “a one-two punch.”

 He talked about cuts to other government programs, including SNAP, and what that will mean in reducing food insecurity.

Dr. Hubert Brennan, a general practitioner, said the higher cost of health insurance premiums triggered by cuts in Medicare and loss of subsides provided by the Affordable Care Act will force small businesses to increase health insurance co-payments or drop insurance.

A result would be an influx of people without insurance reporting to hospitals’ emergency departments, putting greater physical and financial pressure on the system and strains on providing good care.

“This is going to hurt everybody; this is an everybody problem,” Magaziner told the assembled medical staff.

How does this relate to the shutdown?

Magaziner made a direct correlation in a press release following his visit.

“We are now in a Republican government shutdown because President Trump and congressional Republicans have presented the American people with a false choice: either shut down the government or cut millions of people off their health care and drive costs even higher,” said Magaziner. “This is not a choice we need to accept. Rhode Islanders are already facing a health care affordability crisis, and we need urgent action to lower costs, protect the health care system, and reopen the government.”

In the release, Dr. Michael Wagner, president and CEO of Care New England, Kent Hospital’s parent company, said hospitals across the state face unprecedented financial and workforce challenges. He thanked Magaziner and the Rhode Island congressional delegation for their “steadfast commitment to protecting access to care for our patients.”

“The looming Medicaid cuts and loss of critical health care support will jeopardize services for our most vulnerable neighbors and further strain an already fragile health system,” he said.