"Big, beautiful bill" cuts to Medicaid could devastate nursing homes

Medicaid cuts could deed nursing homes hard

Medicaid cuts successful spending measure spark alarm for millions of nursing location residents 03:18

Jason Barrett visits his 94-year-old grandmother, Ruth Raney, astatine the Martinsburg Healthcare Center successful West Virginia arsenic often arsenic helium can. Medicaid volition soon beryllium covering the outgo of Raney's care, putting her among the 77% of West Virginia nursing location residents — and 63% of nursing location residents nationwide — who trust connected the program.

But that backing could beryllium chopped by $930 cardinal implicit the adjacent 10 years by the massive spending measure approved by the Senate connected Tuesday. The interest is those cuts could pb to reduced staffing and tightened eligibility requirements successful semipermanent attraction facilities nationwide. 

Nancy Mason, who runs the nursing location wherever Raney lives, said she's acrophobic astir the interaction connected their operational costs. 

"It helps to conscionable our operational expenses, everything from pharmaceuticals to nutrient to utilities to recruitment of staff, and, you know, each of our wages," Mason said.

And Barrett isn't conscionable a acrophobic grandson, he's a Republican authorities Senator successful West Virginia.

"We person to get to a spot wherever we're balancing our fund again. I don't deliberation we bash that connected the backs of nursing location residents," helium said.

The Senate mentation of the spending measure present moves backmost to the House aft a 51-50 vote. The erstwhile House version of the measure had called for somewhat smaller cuts to Medicaid, astir $800 cardinal implicit 10 years. Following its transition successful the Senate, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the precocious enclosure "went a small further than galore of america would person preferred, but we person the merchandise now," leaving it unclear however overmuch the House would effort to further amend the measure earlier a last vote.

"We person members crossed the league who person concerns astir assorted provisions of the bill," Johnson said, adding, "We're going to effort to reply each those concerns and get this measure delivered connected time, arsenic we expected and hoped from the precise beginning. So, batch of enactment ahead, but that's the job, truthful we'll get it done."

Asked if West Virginia would beryllium capable to capable successful the gaps created by the spending bill, Barrett wasn't optimistic.

"A implicit backfill of cuts to Medicaid would beryllium precise crippling to our authorities budget," helium said.

• Medicaid
• Nursing Home