“While Ascension substantially benefited from its contracts with Central Health, it failed to meet its commitments to us,” said Dr. In the 2022 contract year, there were approximately 31,000 fewer patient hospital encounters (including inpatient services, outpatient services, and emergency room visits) compared with the 2013 contract year, reflecting a roughly 33% reduction.Ĭentral Health alleges that Ascension’s failures apply not only to the overall levels of healthcare services, but also to numerous specialty areas, including general surgery, mammography, oncology radiation therapy, orthopedics, otolaryngology, podiatry, plastic surgery, pulmonology, and rheumatology. In the 2022 contract year, Ascension served approximately 8,000 fewer patients in the hospital compared with the 2013 contract year, reflecting a roughly 21% reduction. Ascension Caring for Fewer PatientsĪscension’s own data shows that it has failed to provide healthcare services to MAP Patients and Charity Care Patients at the agreed-upon 2013 levels. Thus, Ascension’s right to operate the hospital is conditioned on Ascension fulfilling its contractional obligations to Central Health. In operating Dell Seton Medical Center, Ascension is standing in for Central Health, as the local hospital district, in providing healthcare services to Travis County residents with low income. In addition, Ascension was permitted to affiliate with the Central Health-supported Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, as part of the development of the new teaching and safety-net hospital-Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Ascension also received additional public funding. Per the 2013 Safety Net Agreement between Ascension and Central Health, Ascension continued to receive compensation for providing care and participated in projects eligible for Medicaid 1115 Transformation Waiver funding. These renewed contractual commitments applied to patients enrolled in Central Health’s Medical Access Program (MAP), which is a health coverage program for uninsured Travis County residents with low income (MAP Patients), and to certain patients who are “financially indigent” or “medically indigent,” as defined by Ascension’s Charity Care Policy (Charity Care Patients). In 2013, Ascension recommitted to its contractual obligation to care for Travis County residents with low income, and it agreed that going forward, it would provide at least “the current levels of healthcare services,” including hospital and specialty care, that it had been providing. Long-Standing Contractual Relationship Between Central Health and Ascensionīetween 20, Central Health and Ascension worked together under a Safety Net Agreement to provide healthcare services to Travis County residents with low income. Instead, it relies on Ascension to keep its long-standing contractual commitments to provide hospital and most specialty care to Travis County’s safety-net population. Unlike other major urban hospital districts in Texas, Central Health has never operated a public hospital. As part of that relationship, Ascension operated University Medical Center Brackenridge Hospital and provided healthcare to Travis County’s safety-net population.Īfter Central Health was formed, it acquired the property on which University Medical Center Brackenridge sat however, pursuant to a lease, Ascension continued to operate that hospital. When it was formed in 2004, Central Health inherited the City of Austin’s relationship with Ascension, which was intended to help fulfill Central Health’s mission to care for Travis County residents with low income. Their practices have caused real harm to the people we serve.” History: City of Austin, Ascension, and Central Health “Ascension’s persistent failures to honor its contractual commitments left Central Health with no choice but to file a lawsuit to hold Ascension accountable for not providing adequate, equitable healthcare services for people with low income in Travis County. “We are out of options,” said Mike Geeslin, President & CEO of Central Health. (Austin) – Central Health sued Ascension Texas (Ascension), formerly known as Seton Healthcare Family, Tuesday for failing to meet its contractual obligations to provide healthcare for Travis County residents with low income.
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