American Hospital Association & State Mental Health Program Directors Warn That DSH Cuts Will Reduce Inpatient Behavioral Health Care Capacity

State mental health program directors and the American Hospital Association (AHA) believe that reducing Medicare and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments will reduce inpatient behavioral health care capacity. In a June letter to the Obama administration, the AHA noted that the reductions in DSH payments that are part of the health care reform legislation will likely result in safety net hospitals reducing beds for Medicaid beneficiaries and the uninsured. The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) feel that this reduction will cause additional stress on the state public mental health system. The DSH payments go to . . .