LANSING, MI— State Senator Ed McBroom is angry about Aspirus’ decision to close its Ironwood birthing center at the end of the year.
Aspirus says the far western U.P. is experiencing a shrinking number of deliveries, but McBroom suspects the decision is connected to higher reimbursement rates for patients who now have to travel to Wisconsin to have their babies.
“Many of the Wisconsin operations have this kind of perverse incentive to come up to Michigan, have very small clinics, just get a toe in the community, and then constantly be moving people across the boundary to get that higher reimbursement.”
Aspirus was repeatedly offered a $1.2 million state grant to pay for OB services. Executives rejected the grant the same day it announced the closure, saying it wasn’t worth saving the unit because the number of births in the area had declined.
McBroom says that information could have been brought forward a year ago.
“You put us on the line for all this money. I did all the work to get it for you, put my credibility on the line with my colleagues, and then you just go forward with your own plans, unannounced. It’s just very frustrating.”
In an email, Aspirus said accepting taxpayer dollars to temporarily prop up an inappropriate care model would not have been responsible.
Ironwood nurses are holding a rally Wednesday to protest the closure and to call for fair contract negotiations.
