Statement From County Council Chair Camille Exum Regarding County-State Hospital System Negotiations

The Prince George’s County Council is actively engaged in critical discussions around the fate of the hospital system and continues to be fully supportive of a comprehensive approach to provide quality healthcare.

The current dialogue began on March 29, 2007.  We remain seriously concerned however, that the long-term, comprehensive approach to this very complex healthcare issue, decades in the making, is not sufficiently demonstrated in the “deal” on the table, and cannot be negotiated in ten days. 

We believe the “deal” currently based upon the faulty premise that the County runs the hospital, is flawed.   In reality, the hospital system is run by a private non-profit corporation, Dimensions Healthcare. 

We continue to call upon the State to accept its responsibility for providing healthcare.  HB510, a tax levy on Prince George’s County citizens, is the current solution passed in the House and if approved in the Senate, would become part of the “deal.” The legislation, which does not speak  about healthcare, holds County taxpayers unfairly liable for bonds, pensions, and related debt incurred by Dimensions Healthcare, a private entity. 

HB510 also appears to directly or indirectly circumvent the will of voters who imposed tax restrictions in the County--a property tax cap, and a requirement that proposed new taxes come before voters in a referendum.  The Council is unwilling, without a referendum, to make our taxpayers the insurer of last resort by taking on the bailout of a private corporation. 

While there has been discussion acknowledging that a local tax imposed by the state on local taxpayers is not the best approach, there is to date no modified version of the bill.  Prince George’s County deserves a comprehensive, long-term funding solution to the hospital crisis.  HB510 is an unacceptable short-term fix, which proposes to unfairly tax County citizens and fails to sufficiently address an inequitable State healthcare system. 

The “deal” that some argue must be agreed upon before the General Assembly clock strikes midnight, requires a more skeptical eye and perhaps a little more time at the table to address such systemic issues as Health Service Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) rate increases which render the hospital system non-competitive.  The rate increases, nearly a third of the money the State says it is putting on the table, actually comes from paying customers—a counterproductive source which makes the entity less competitive and loses customers because insurance companies will not pay inflated rates.  

Council Media Release
Hospital 4-10-07

Questions about the “deal’s” fiscal impact on the County budget priorities of education and public safety remain unanswered as well.  The Council ponders whether the State is now setting priorities for how local government funds programs, placing the privately-run hospital above our schools and safe neighborhoods. 

There is more than one opportunity for tragedy here.  Prince George’s County citizens are entitled to a healthy, complete, and detailed decision-making process about a situation with such broad and long-term impact.