The failure of Congress to pass a viable healthcare plan will play a significant role in the future of coverage in NH.
Politicians leading the charge have failed to address the problem of having many uninsured Americans in the insurance pool. Without healthy people in the mix, the markets will be destabilized; some fear it will collapse. Additionally, there will be a tremendous burden on local hospitals, as the emergency room becomes the focus of medical care for those without insurance.
Our own Memorial Hospital would have to bear the costs of treating these uninsured individuals. Many hospitals with a large number of poor and uninsured people in their communities will collapse, and others will struggle to meet these needs. The COVID-19 crisis has caused hospitals across NH and the country to have curtailed revenue-generating services, which will be an additional burden on small community hospitals.
It’s time for bi-partisan solutions to providing our citizens with affordable healthcare, both in Washington and in Concord. There is too much at risk in failing to solve this problem; people’s lives are at stake at home and across the country.
