Government
N.M. nursing homes protest House reform proposal
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Aug. 24, 2009
A coalition of New Mexico nursing home clinicians is opposed to language in the health system reform legislation pending in the House, saying the bill would cut nationwide Medicare funding for nursing home care by more than $32 billion over 10 years.
Meeting at a rehabilitation center in New Mexico on Aug. 13, the Coalition to Protect Senior Care -- made up of about a dozen long-term-care and nursing assistant representatives -- said the cuts would mean a loss of $130.2 million for that state's seniors alone. The amounts were based on an analysis conducted by the American Health Care Assn. The CPSC gathered signatures from nursing home caregivers, residents and family members to send to New Mexico's congressional delegation asking for their support in ensuring sufficient Medicare funding.
"We fully support what Congress is striving to achieve with health care reform," said Lisa Cantrell, president of the National Assn. of Health Care Assistants and a founding member of CPSC. "However, we believe that proposals in place to cut Medicare funding for seniors in nursing homes would place an unfair burden on our nation's most vulnerable seniors."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/08/24/gvbf0824.htm.
