Quality of care is threatened by state budget cuts

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Unfortunately, this quality of care is being threatened by continued budget cuts.

As a longtime provider of nursing home care, I was shocked to learn that once again the state is cutting reimbursement to nursing homes by $23 million as one of the first steps in balancing the state's current budget deficit.

Ironically, while this latest cut affects nursing homes by $23 million, it only saves the state $8.8 million after losing federal matching dollars of $14.2 million.

This recent cut is not new to the state's nursing home industry. Time and time again when the state falls short on its budget obligations the state cuts reimbursement to providers of nursing home care. Over the last four years, the state has decreased reimbursement to the nursing home industry by more than $130 million.

Providers are still expected and required to provide the same level of care to the same elderly residents with substantially fewer dollars — an impossible task.

When the state entered into the Medicaid program, it made a commitment to provide health care services to our frail elderly. In doing so, it is under the obligation to pay providers the cost to provide this care. This latest round of budget reductions will have a profound and lasting effect on our state's nursing home industry.

All providers will be faced with the challenge of providing the care our elderly residents deserve and family members expect with fewer dollars for staff wages and benefits and other quality of life services. In the end, I fear that some providers will be forced to close, thereby creating an access problem for our county residents.

Again, I fully understand the fiscal challenges facing the state and that tough decisions need to be made. However, care to our county's elderly should be the last to be cut, not the first cut.

There is rarely a second chance to provide quality health care.

L .E. "Bud" Zimmerman, La Plata

The writer is the president and CEO of CCNRC Family of Care Nursing & Rehabilitation Centers, (formerly Charles County Nursing & Rehab).