Voters in Norton County are deciding the value of health care in their community. On May 7, they will vote on whether to approve a one-percent sales tax hike to help fund Norton County Hospital and EMS. If voters approve it, the extra penny of tax on each dollar of purchases would begin on Oct. 1. Three-quarters of the money raised would go to the hospital. The other one-quarter would go to EMS. The sales tax would end after 10 years. Norton County Hospital is dealing with financial issues, including inflation and lower insurance reimbursement rates. Officials say the hospital’s average operating margin in 2021, 2022, and 2023 ranged from -15 to -20%. If voters do not approve the sales tax hike, hospital officials say they will be forced to make difficult decisions, beginning with service reductions, followed by staff reductions, and ultimately risking closure. “This is a health care initiative aimed at improving health care within the County of Norton,” Kevin Faughnder, the hospital CEO, said. “When we look at the higher costs, higher operational costs, lower reimbursement rates, and just overall increases in the cost of living today, what we realized was we couldn’t do that on just seeing patients.” The one-percent sales tax increase became the preferred option.
Source: KSN-TV
