Governor Eddie Baza Calvo releases the following statements in support of a bill that assesses a fee on insurance companies that will go directly to the hospital to pay its debt and build an urgent care center at GMH:
Real Solution, Real Funding Source
“Sen. Rodriguez’s Bill No. 20 is a real solution with real funding behind it. I applaud his effort and I support this version of the bill.”
Insurance QCs Didn’t Lower Costs to Consumers
“There are insurance companies that have been taking advantage of the tax breaks through the qualifying certificate program. That part of the QC was meant to attract captive insurance. It hasn’t. It’s only benefitted the companies with shops on Guam already, and we haven’t seen those costs decrease. We also want to see a level playing field.”
New Revenue Will Pay for GMH Debt, Unfunded Mandates
“In the meantime, there is a real need at Guam Memorial Hospital. GMH has to pay for millions in unfunded mandates, especially the impact of the Compacts of Free Association and the TEFRA restrictions. Very soon we may be seeing adjustments to Medicaid that will again strain the hospital’s ability to provide care. GMH needs these resources to pay down its bills, and this legislation definitely delivers.”
Establishing Urgent Care Center
“I also appreciate the funding mechanism the bill provides to establish triage and an urgent care center at GMH. This is a solution to the major problem of emergency room crowding and high ER expenses. Once this is done, patients who go to the ER and don’t have emergency needs will be directed to urgent care for treatment. This will also free up the ER to concentrate on emergent care.”
Win-win
“This legislation is a win-win. We will look further at the financial provisions of the bill, but overall, I urge the legislature’s swift consideration and passage.”
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