Oswego Health receives $1.4 million in federal-budget deal

OSWEGO, N.Y. — The office of U.S. Representative John Katko (R–Camillus) says

the new federal-budget deal includes $1.4 million for Oswego Health, beginning in fiscal year 2019.

The funding for Oswego Health extends over the course of five years, Katko’s office said in a news release. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

The budget agreement includes a five-year extension of the Medicare low-volume adjustment policy, which provides special Medicare payments to certain small and low-volume hospitals, Katko’s office said.

The extension included key reforms to the low-volume adjustment policy, making Oswego Health and other rural New York hospitals eligible for funding.

For a hospital to qualify for low-volume payment adjustment, it must be located 15 miles or further from the nearest hospital and have a low number of Medicare discharges.

“The new funding Oswego Health will now receive through the Medicare low-volume payment adjustment is important to allowing us to continue providing high quality health care to patients in our community. Rep. Katko has long been a champion of hospitals and healthcare in Central New York and we thank him for his help in securing this funding for Oswego,” Jeff Coakley, executive VP for Oswego Health, said in Katko’s release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com