OMC projects the year ahead

“A very difficult year for us” is how Jeanne Ward, president/CEO of Oconee Medical Center, described the current year. Last night Ward began the presentation last night of a new budget for a new fiscal year. For the hospital year that officially begins next week, the budget writers project net revenues at $144 million and expenses of $142.4 million. To help meet its projected $58 million payroll, Oconee Medical Center will implement a six percent rate increase. Once again, there’s a marked difference between what the hospital expects to charge for its services and what it expects to receive. In 2012-13, OMC projects gross revenue charges at $444 million. Factoring into that, however, is $300 million of deductibles, such as the difference between what Medicare is billed and what the government’s insurance program will pay: #1301 :37 “…2.3%.”