What's at Stake

The governor's proposed 2008-09 budget provides no increase for the care of nursing home residents on Medical Assistance, continuing a long-standing pattern of underfunding for Pennsylvania's most vulnerable residents and those who care for them. In fact, over the last three budget cycles, the commonwealth has paid nearly $290 million less than it owed for the care of Medical Assistance residents.

The effects of underfunding are very real.

With two out of every three nursing home residents on Medical Assistance, and nursing homes being forced to absorb losses that average $12 per Medical Assistance resident per day ($4,300 per resident per year), many nursing homes are struggling to meet the medical, physical and social needs of residents. In some places in Pennsylvania, low-income elderly have to wait for nursing home beds and self-paying nursing home residents have to pay more for their care to compensate for chronic government underfunding.

Our "Greatest Generation" is aging rapidly, and the cost of caring for the sickest among us is increasing. We are not served if we build a strong home health system, but fail to adequately support assisted living and skilled nursing care facilities when home care can no longer meet the needs of the patient.

All of us understand that difficult choices need to be made, that priorities must be set. But nursing home residents have paid their price. They shouldn't be asked to pay more, which is what Governor Rendell’s proposed budget does. The Governor and the Legislature need to provide funding to ensure that nursing home residents in Pennsylvania receive the highest quality of care and dignity.