June 27, 2018
Hagåtña — Governor Eddie Calvo is calling the Legislature into session at 4 p.m. today to help the Guam Memorial Hospital maintain accreditation and Medicare/Medicaid funding.
In his latest effort to provide our people’s only public hospital with the help it needs every year moving forward — once and for all fixing a decades old problem of a funding deficiency averaging $30 million a year — the Governor sent a bill to the Guam Legislature.
The bill amends Public Law 34-87 and prioritizes the revenues received from the general sales tax to specifically address those deficiencies identified in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Joint Commission reports of 2018.
“Senators, our job as leaders is to build up, not tear down our people and our island. The hard working doctors, nurses, pharmacists, technicians and staff at the Guam Memorial Hospital look to us for solutions so that they are equipped to save lives and heal the people of our community,” the Governor stated.
“In the last few weeks, there have been unfounded allegations designed to hurt and break the spirits of the hospital staff. This must come to a stop. We must work together to support our hospital, heal our island and to move our people forward.”
The 0.75% authorized as a dedicated funding source for the hospital would first pay “to correct the deficiencies as identified in the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services and Joint Commission reports of 2018 once these deficiencies are corrected, the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority may use the funds for operational requirements, capital investments, or reserves.”
The Governor’s bill maintains the .25% to help fix public schools for 30,000 Department of Education students. It also maintains revenues to address the erosion of the tax base resulting from the passage of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
