Boston Teaching Hospitals Could Lose $322 Million
BOSTON (CBS) -- Lawmakers in Washington are strongly considering cutting back on Medicare reimbursements, and the proposed cuts would hit Massachusetts teaching hospitals especially hard.
There are 14 teaching hospitals in Boston, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's, the DanaFarber Cancer Institute, and Children's Hospital Boston. These hospitals could lose more than $300 million if the legislation passes.
John Erwin, executive director of the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals, says they'd have to cut back on training doctors at a time when there's already a shortage of medical professionals.
"This is just not the time to be doing this," Erwin tells WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens.
"We realize that cuts have to be made at the federal level, that there are pressures on people in Washington, but again, the impact on this will be felt for years and years to come."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
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Erwin says the cuts would lead to hospitals training fewer physicians, creating a shortage of needed doctors in the future.
