MICHAEL M. HONDA COMMITrEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

17TH DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA SUBCOMMIr1-EES:

WASHINGTON OFFICE: COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCELABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,

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September 15,2014

Leon Rodriguez, DirectorOffice for Civil RightsU.S. Department of Health and Human Services200 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Mr. Rodriguez:

I am writing to request an update on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) ongoinginvestigation of Prime Healthcare Services for alleged violations of patient confidentiality laws. As you mayknow, the possibility has been raised of Prime Healthcare Services purchasing the Daughters of CharityHealth System hospitals in California. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Labor, Health andHuman Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee and the Representative of the 17t5 District ofCalifornia, the assurance that the medically underserved have access to quality health care is of greatimportance to me. It has been reported that Prime Healthcare Services has been investigated by HHS forfraudulent Medicare and Medi-Cal billing, and has been investigated by the Department of Justice for unfairlabor practices as well, thus I request an update on your investigation so that I may be fully informed whilethis sale is still being reviewed. These reports are particularly concerning to the context of a possiblepurchase of six California hospitals.

Daughters of Charity San Jose O’Connor Hospital is an integral part of Santa Clara County’s health system.The Daughters of Charity have provided health care to those in most need, including the uninsured,medically underserved, and low-income residents for over 150 years. O’Connor Hospital and the Daughtersof Charity Health System’s longstanding commitment to charity and service to the underserved populationhas earned it the reputation for excellent health care.

Any reduction in the quality of, or access to, care will deeply impact the health of our community. While Iam encouraged by the millions of Californians who enrolled in private health care plans or Medi-Cal thoughthe first year of the Affordable Care Act enrollment, I recognize that there are still many who remain relianton safety net hospitals and clinics for their primary care. The need for robust services for Medi-Cal, indigent,and non-eligible populations is significant. Income disparity should not be a barrier to health care. The lossof these invaluable services from O’Connor Hospital will increase the burden on other local heath centersand hospitals, which already have limited resources and capacity for indigent populations. I am concernedthat limiting these resources means endangering the lives of the thousands who rely on the quality servicesfrom O’Connor Hospital. We need to be assured that, if Daughters of Charity

I look forward to your timely response.

Sincerely,

Michael M. HondaMember of Congress

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