The Medicare Monitor reports that Congressman Walz is in the lead of a bipartisan effort to stave off cuts proposed by the Bush administration.
The Austin (TX) American-Statesman published the column yesterday:
More than 40 bipartisan members of the House have sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner urging them to stave off possible cuts in Medicare funding of nursing home care.
The lawmakers object to a Bush budget proposal to eliminate the inflation adjustment for skilled nursing facilities. That is estimated to have a $1 billion impact on nursing homes next year. The letter notes that other proposed regulatory changes would slash another $4.7 billion from nursing homes by 2013.
According to the American Health Care Association, the combined cuts would mean a nearly $19 per patient per day reduction in Medicare nursing home reimbursements next year.
“We are deeply concerned about the impact that cuts of this magnitude would have on America’s most vulnerable seniors and the workers who care for them,” said the letter co-authored by Reps.Tim Walz, D-Minn., and Chris Shays, R-Conn.
“At a time when Congress is working to stimulate economic activity and jobs growth, these Medicare cuts would jeopardize direct care jobs - 86 percent of which are held by women whose salaries are modest and whose families depend on receiving annual cost of living increases. We feel strongly that that these dedicated direct care workers are a key reason we have seen meaningful quality improvement in skilled nursing care in recent years.
“Nursing homes already operate on razor-thin margins, the lowest of any health care provider group. Without stable Medicare payments, many SNFs will lack the resources they need to continue to invest in the building facilities and health information technology necessary to providing the highest quality of care.”
The Medicare Monitor is written by Palm Beach Post's veteran Washington correspondent, Larry Lipman, who "tracks policy makers and interest groups who are shaping the future of the federal health insurance program for the elderly."
More details are found in a press release issued by the Coalition to Protect Senior Care, a broad coalition of senior care providers. The lead:
Citing the negative impact to local seniors as well as the potential loss of key front line caregiver jobs resulting from possible cuts to Medicare-financed nursing home care, a national front line caregiver organization is praising U.S. Reps. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Chris Shays (R-CT) for successfully generating the bipartisan support of 42 lawmakers for their letter urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) to help reject any Medicare funding cuts in the weeks ahead.
"On behalf of the nation's most vulnerable seniors and our front line caregivers who proudly serve them, we extend our gratitude to Reps. Walz, Shays and the 40 other members of Congress from both sides of the aisle now on record urging the U.S. House leadership to oppose cuts to the Medicare-financed nursing home funding that plays a critical role in the provision of high quality care," stated Lisa Cantrell, a co-founder of the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA), and a national spokesperson for the Coalition to Protect Senior Care. . . .
In addition to Walz, House members from Minnesota signing the letter included Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum and Jim Oberstar.
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