Cleveland-based MetroHealth is calling for the reversal of the Cuyahoga County Council’s proposed $4.5 million in funding cuts to the publicly funded health system over the next two years, Ideastream Public Media reported Nov. 10.
The proposed budget from the Cuyahoga County executive includes $3 million in cuts for 2026 and $1.5 million for 2027. That would reduce MetroHealth’s budget from $35 million to $32 million in 2026, and from $35 million to $33.5 million in 2027.
MetroHealth would face the reductions during a particularly challenging financial period, CEO Christine Alexander-Rager, MD, told the council during Nov. 10 budget hearings. The system’s expenses grew from $1.6 billion in 2022 to more than $2 billion in 2024 and are projected to reach $2.3 billion in 2026.
Uninsured patient costs rose from $176 million in 2022 to $367 million by the end of 2025, and they are expected to reach $446 million by the end of 2026, according to Ideastream Public Media.
“Those are unprecedented levels and actually exceed what happened during the Great Recession,” Dr. Alexander-Rager said during the hearings.
As part of its stabilization efforts, MetroHealth is launching an initiative to help patients enroll in Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA’s marketplace insurance. The system also cut 125 jobs in July, closed six outpatient locations in October and plans to shutter its psychiatric emergency department at the Cleveland Heights Medical Center by Dec. 31.
When asked whether the system is sustainable as a public hospital accepting uninsured patients, Dr. Alexander-Rager said hospitals across the U.S. are at risk of closure, Ideastream Public Media reported.
“We’re no different than that,” she said. “But despite these headwinds, we feel like we have a solid plan, but we do need help. We do need assistance, and that’s why we’re here before you, asking not to be cut.”
