Florida Nursing home owners are decrying proposed deep cuts to Medicaid spending on nursing home patients. The Senate is proposing a $200 million cut and the House a $133 million cut to nursing home funding through Medicaid.
Neither the House nor the Senate is building into their budgets money from Washington that may come as a result of an extension of extra stimulus money for Medicaid.
“Nursing home residents in our state simply cannot endure these substantial Medicaid funding cuts, which would threaten their quality of care,” said J. Emmett Reed, executive director of the Florida Health Care Association, which represents nursing home owners. “These cuts could also negatively impact caregiver jobs, which would do nothing for families already struggling in a bad economy.
If federal relief becomes available, lawmakers must consider using it to alleviate these funding cuts.”
Source: News Service Florida
