Hospital assessment takes next step to draw down funds

The Evangeline Parish Police Jury, during its first meeting of the year held Monday, January 11, took action in the assessment of Mercy Regional Medical Center in order for the hospital to draw down additional Medicare dollars from the federal government.
The jury voted to adopt the assessment and to create a working committee set up of representatives from Evangeline and St. Landry Parishes to determine the amounts for the assessment. Both parishes are involved because the assessment would cover the hospital in Ville Platte along with Acadian Medical Center in Eunice.
Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Regional Kris Aguillard told the jury legislation “allows funds from the hospital, which would be the tax from the hospital, to be sent to the state. The state sends it to the federal government, and the federal government has a percentage that it matches and sends back to the state. The state sends it down to the hospital to serve the rural and underserved areas.
Aguillard went on to say “none of this will be passed on to the patients as far as bills or increased charges for any of the patients.” He added, “The hospital takes its own revenue, and we send it to the sheriff’s office. It comes back to us after the process takes place.”
After voting on the ordinance, the police jury set a public hearing for Monday, February 1, at 4:45 p.m. to adopt an ordinance based on the committee’s findings.