Reauthorizing Grants For U.S. Trauma Centers (H.R. 647)

What is H.R. 647?

(Updated July 18, 2017)

This bill seeks to keep trauma centers across the country operational. It would do so by renewing their funding. Set to expire this year, the bill renews Federal funding for trauma centers through 2020. It provides a cool $100 million dollars every year in funds to keeping public, non-profit, Indian Health Services-run and tribal trauma centers up and running.

The bill also includes a couple of technical details. It lowers the number of “charity or self-pay” patients necessary for trauma centers to qualify for funding. It also changes the name of the subheadings of one section.

Argument in favor

Would help make emergency rooms function more effectively and improve access to emergency care, especially in rural areas. They’re already too few and far between. Now is no time to cut their funding.

Argument opposed

Because trauma centers are so vital, they should have no problem drawing in revenue for their services. They shouldn't rely on taxpayer dollars to solve these crucial health issues that need re-funding every few years.

Impact

People that sustain traumatic injuries, the trauma centers where they seek care, trauma center staff, taxpayers, medical administrators, and the Health and Services Resource Administration.

Cost of H.R. 647

The CBO estimates that implementing this bill will cost $401 million between 2016 and 2020.

Additional Info

In Depth:

The reauthorization of this program is endorsed by what seems like every medical organization conceivable, ranging from household names like The American Heart Association to those whose names you should work into your comeback repertoire, like the American Burn Association.

The bill also has broad, bipartisan support. Noted Internet-hater Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and lefty sled-fan Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-At Large) are both co-sponsors.

Sponsoring Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) and fellow Texan Gene Greene (D-TX) introduced another trauma center bill alongside this one, H.R. 648, allocating funds for trauma center coordination and management.

Specifically, the bill would reauthorize two grant mechanisms: the Trauma Care Systems Planning Grants and the Regionalization of Emergency Care Systems. According to the Trauma Center Association of America:The first [grant mechanism] supports state and rural development of trauma systems and the second funds pilot projects to design, implement, and evaluate innovative models of regionalized emergency care. It would also direct states to update their model trauma care plan with the input of updated stakeholders one year after enactment.

It’s worth noting that this bill doesn’t just give funding to any old hospital emergency room. This is specifically for trauma centers, facilities that treat the worst, most-life threatening injuries. According to Sponsoring Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), about 45 million Americans—7 percent of the population—live more than an hour away from a trauma center. As shown by this map from the CDC, they’re largely in the big, square states west of the Mississippi. Getting people that suffer from trauma to hospitals within that first hour is essential to preventing death.

Media:

Sponsoring Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) Press Release

CBO Cost Estimate

Trauma Center Association of America (In Support)

American College of Surgeons

Summary by James Helmsworth 

(Photo Credit: Flickr user Seattle Municipal Archives)