WakeMed X-Ray has misrepresented the facts and taken statements out of context.
The UNC Health Care System, including Rex Healthcare, consistently works to provide care to the people of North Carolina who can least afford to pay. We, along with other health care providers across the state including WakeMed, have sought payments supplemental to Medicaid reimbursement to help us provide this care. These payments are available to state-government owned or operated facilities under the current Medicaid regulatory structure.
The white paper that WakeMed references in its blog was written by an outside consultant who advised that Rex Healthcare is eligible for the Medicaid supplement because it qualifies as a state-government operated facility, not as a state-owned facility.
Rex Healthcare is a private entity. It is not owned by state government, nor are its employees state employees.
But none of this is important to the thousands of patients we see each year. Wake County citizens don’t care about the legal status or corporate setup of their hospitals – they care about the quality and availability of the care they receive.
We think the quality of care in Wake County is the highest at Rex. Part of that is due to the level of competition we face with the other area hospitals – competing for patients makes us even better. And choice is good for Wake County citizens.
We welcome the competition we face in Wake County. Why doesn’t WakeMed?