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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 101
BY SENATORS WHITE, BROOME, DORSEY-COLOMB AND WARD
HEALTH/HOSPITALS DEPT. Requests the Department of Health and Hospitals to protect
certain hospitals from the negative financial consequences of the closure of the Earl K. Long
Medical Center by adequately compensating such hospitals for their increased burden of
providing health care to the poor and uninsured residents of the greater Baton Rouge region.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to protect certain hospitals from2
the negative financial consequences of the closure of Earl K. Long Medical Center3
by adequately compensating those hospitals for their increased burden of providing4
care to the poor and uninsured residents of the greater Baton Rouge region.5
WHEREAS, Earl K. Long Medical Center provided much needed health care6
services to residents of the greater Baton Rouge region who were uninsured or covered by7
the state's Medicaid program; and8
WHEREAS, Earl K. Long Medical Center was scheduled to close in November 20139
but closed on a accelerated schedule on April 15, 2013; and10
WHEREAS, the Department of Health and Hospitals published a rule to adjust the11
reimbursement methodology for hospitals that could demonstrate a significant change in the12
number of uninsured treated within six months before the scheduled closure of Earl K. Long13
Medical Center; and14
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural15
and Mechanical College and the Department of Health and Hospitals entered into a16
cooperative endeavor agreement pursuant to which responsibility for the care of the patients17
formerly served by Earl K. Long Medical Center was assumed by Our Lady of the Lake18 SCR NO. 101
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Regional Medical Center; and1
WHEREAS, pursuant to such cooperative endeavor agreement, much of the care2
formerly provided by Earl K. Long Medical Center was transferred to the campus of Our3
Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and away from the campus of Earl K. Long4
Medical Center; and 5
WHEREAS, despite the best efforts of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical6
Center, a significant number of the patients formerly served by Earl K. Long Medical7
Center, many of whom are uninsured, have chosen to seek their health care not at Our Lady8
of the Lake Regional Medical Center but through the emergency departments of hospitals9
closer to the former Earl K. Long Medical Center campus; and10
WHEREAS, the care provided to those patients formerly served by Earl K. Long11
Medical Center is causing a severe financial strain on those hospitals nearest to the former12
campus of Earl K. Long Medical Center that the department's rule does not address, and13
current Medicaid funding to those hospitals is inadequate to protect those hospitals from the14
consequences of that significant increase in such care.15
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby16
urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to modify its reimbursement17
methodology for hospitals, subject to the approval of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid18
Services, to provide enhanced reimbursement for indigent patients presenting for outpatient19
treatment or requiring inpatient admission and not able to be transferred, for community20
owned hospitals or hospital service districts that are within fifteen miles of the former21
campus of Earl K. Long Medical Center and that have an increase in indigent emergency22
room visits greater than ten percent from the date of the announcement of the closure of Earl23
K. Long Medical Center compared to the first full three month period after closure.24
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana has determined that25
Baton Rouge General Medical Center and Hospital Service District No. 1 of East Baton26
Rouge Parish, Louisiana, doing business as Lane Regional Medical Center, meet the27
foregoing criteria.28
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the29
secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals and to the governor.30 SCR NO. 101
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The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Christopher D. Adams.
DIGEST
White SCR No. 101
Requests the Department of Health and Hospitals protect certain hospitals from the negative
financial consequences of the closure of Earl K. Long Medical Center by adequately
compensating those hospitals for their increased burden of providing health care to the poor
and uninsured residents of the greater Baton Rouge region.