Healthcare reform to hurt hospitals — and nurses?

While healthcare reform is expected to benefit millions of uninsured Americans, some investment advisers think that hospitals will lose money under the new system.
Moody’s Investors Service believes that most non-profit hospials will benefit from an influx of newly insured customers in the short-term, but struggle financially in the future when the government cuts Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.  Hospitals agreed to fund the legislation to the tune of $155 billion over 10 years by accepting lower Medicare and Medicaid payments.  Those lower payments will cause hospitals to re-examine their bottom lines and may lead to the consolidation of hospitals, investors say.

Given the fact that hospitals already are cutting nurse benefits in response to economic pressure, do you think that healthcare legislation will ultimately lead to reductions in nurse pay?  Or do you think healthcare reform will lead to increased recognition of nurses’ contributions?