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Press Release - Oberstar Introduces Hospital Designation Bill for Cass County

Date: Sept. 29, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Senior Citizens Unemployed and Low-Income Entitlements and the Safety Net Health Insurance


Oberstar Introduces Hospital Designation Bill for Cass County
Friday, September 29, 2006

WASHINGTON--To promote access to health care in Cass County, Congressman James L. Oberstar introduced legislation today that would permit the designation of a critical access hospital in Cass County, Minnesota.

"Since the hospital in Walker closed its doors in 1975, residents and visitors in north-central Cass County have been forced to travel up to an hour or more out of the county to hospitals in Bemidji, Park Rapids, Deer River, Crosby, Staples or Brainerd to seek urgent care in emergency rooms and other hospital-based services. I am very pleased to introduce this important legislation in support of the Cass County Hospital initiative that will bring much-needed urgent care to local residents," said Oberstar. "I want to commend the significant achievements of state, county, local officials and the members of the Cass County Health Task Force to advance this important project. As a result of their superb work, state legislation was enacted earlier this year that has paved the way to transform the Ah-Gwah-Ching long-term care facility into an integrated medical campus that would be anchored by a 25-bed hospital."

To make this vital health care initiative viable, the new hospital must obtain Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation to ensure appropriate Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. Under current law, however, a CAH must be located a minimum of 35 miles from the nearest hospital, and the Ah-Gwah-Ching site is located 31.9 miles from the hospital in Park Rapids.

"One of the remaining obstacles to making this health care project a reality is securing the CAH designation so that Cass County can proceed with this project. I am pleased that Senator Norm Coleman has agreed to join me in this effort, and I will look forward to working on a bipartisan basis to enact the legislation in November during the lame-duck session," Oberstar said.

http://www.oberstar.house.gov//index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={817495E8-E017-4DCD-B3D1-239A57CB87C1}&DE={392B5E73-5334-46E4-8A3D-FB5637EA4D59}

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