Ohio Nursing Home Advocates Protest Medicaid Cuts
Nursing home advocates are protesting cuts to the state's Medicaid program that will result in deep cuts in staffing. The advocates claim the cuts will result in a worse level of care and that the cuts in Ohio may be just the beginning of cuts to nursing homes around the country.
The Ohio legislature has voted to cut Medicaid payments by 6 percent for the next fiscal year. In addition, the federal government has made an 11 percent cut to Medicare for the next fiscal year as well, with additional cuts still possible. Government funding from Medicare and Medicaid make up 70 percent of nursing home budgets in Ohio.
A survey of Ohio nursing homes found that 2,800 jobs had been cut between July 1 and September 1, and an additional 20,000 jobs may be lost due to the Medicare cuts. These deep cuts will result in nursing homes that understaffed and also possibly staffed with improperly trained workers. Nursing homes that are understaffed or do not have properly trained workers are much more likely to have incidences of abuse and neglect and to lead to injuries and wrongful death.
