Health care providers are trying to make a case against funding cuts to policymakers, who they say don’t seem to understand the price of care that nursing homes are providing, and the impact those cuts could have to the quality of that care, and to the economy.
With the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reducing Medicare reimbursement rates by 11.1%, effective October 1, and the possibility of further cuts looming in the future, some providers are wondering how they’re supposed to finance caring for more than 1 million nursing home residents, and an overall aging population. Data from the 2010 Census Bureau shows the 65 and older demographic increasing nearly 80% by 2030, and along with aging comes an increased need for health care.
“There comes a point in any sector when additional cuts can no longer be shifted, absorbed, or passed through to others. For our profession, that tipping point is right now,” said Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of the American Health Care Association, in a statement.
The problem is that many policymakers have a skewed perception of the types of care given to residents in nursing homes, says Greg Crist, the head of public affairs for the American Health Care Association (AHCA).
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