Ohio Congressman Works to Stop Bush and Help Seniors      

Ohio Congressman and Republican Leader John Boehner was praised today for advancing the bipartisan efforts to stop the Bush Administration’s plan to cut senior’s Medicare Part A Nursing Home funding.  If the cuts are put through, they could badly hurt the most vulnerable seniors in the country, creating a $45 million loss in Ohio in the next year alone.

Congressman Boehner sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, stating that high quality nursing home care will be seriously threatened if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) allows the proposal that would cut $770 million from nursing home funding in 2009, the most vulnerable in society would be hurt the most.  After 2009, there would be $4 billion more in cuts over the next five years.

Not only will these cuts impact Ohio nursing homes and the seniors that need them most, but will also impact the economy of the state.  Though Congressman Boehner is from Ohio and trying to help Ohio seniors, the same issues hold true in states throughout the nation.  The bill will be detrimental to seniors in every state and the economies of every state as well, and as a result.

Boehner’s letter to Secretary Leavitt also states “The administration should be commended for its previous support for policies that moved many high acuity patients into Skilled Nursing Facilities.  While these patients may have otherwise been cared for in higher cost facilities, the success of these policies helped to save Medicare $709 million in 2006 alone.” 

The Ohio Healthcare Association, a non-profit organization that thanked Congressman Boehner and backs him in his efforts to stop the Bush Administration’s cuts, is the largest healthcare association in Ohio, and represents 700 of the nursing homes and long term care facilities in the state, plus assisted living residences and facilities for people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities, is the only Chartered Ohio Affiliate of the American Healthcare Association, which represents 12,000 long term care facilities throughout the United States. 

With backing and endorsement from an organization of that magnitude, hopefully the results will help Ohio’s – and America’s seniors.
 

Entry Filed under: General-Medicare