Coleman Praised for Leading U.S. Senate Effort to Stop Bush Medicare Cuts From Going...

Coleman Praised for Leading U.S. Senate Effort to Stop Bush Medicare Cuts From
Going into Effect

MN Senator Leads Successful Bipartisan Effort in Congress to Stop $11.4
Million State Medicare Cut

MINNEAPOLIS, July 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- State and national long term
care leaders today praised U.S. Senator Norm Coleman, from Minnesota, for
leading a successful, bipartisan effort in Congress to stop the Bush
Administration from moving forward with a Medicare regulation that would have
cut Medicare-funded nursing home care by $5 billion over the next five years
and $770 million in fiscal year 2009. Senator Coleman's action ensures
Minnesota seniors will be protected from cuts of $11.4 million in the year
ahead.

"The Bush Administration's planned Medicare cuts not only threatened Minnesota
seniors' access to quality health care throughout our state, but would have
also negatively impacted our state and local economy, and we are grateful to
Senator Coleman for leading the effort in Congress to stop these unwise,
unwarranted cuts," stated Patti Cullen, President of Care Providers of
Minnesota. "Senator Coleman's enormous efforts in Washington to protect his
most vulnerable constituents reflect the independent thinking and action
Minnesota needs, deserves and appreciates."

"The bottom-line news from today's announcement is that Minnesota's Medicare
beneficiaries are deservedly the big winners," stated Bruce Yarwood, President
and CEO of the American Health Care Association (AHCA), in Washington, D.C.
"Thanks to Senator Coleman, Minnesota seniors will retain ready access to the
high quality care they need and deserve."

Alan G. Rosenbloom, President of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care,
stated, "From a policy standpoint, this is an outstanding development in terms
of both meeting seniors' changing health care needs, and doing so in a manner
that uses Medicare funds efficiently. The Administration and Congress deserve
enormous credit for working in an intelligent, collegial, bipartisan manner to
help achieve today's positive results."

Working with U.S. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), Senator Coleman led a Senate
letter-writing effort to HHS Sec. Mike Leavitt warning the planned Medicare
change "will jeopardize the significant quality improvements made by the
skilled nursing facility (SNF) community in recent years as well as the
ability of SNFs to continue caring for high acuity patients. Because SNFs
rely on Medicare to make up for chronic underfunding by the Medicaid program -
an average of $13 per day for every Medicaid beneficiary in nursing homes
nationwide - it is critically important that Medicare reimbursement remain
fair and consistent. We believe that if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) were to finalize its proposed rule, the ability of providers to
care for our nation's most vulnerable population - the frail elderly and
disabled - would be severely threatened."

Cullen also noted that Medicare cuts from Washington would have had a severely
negative impact on the strength and viability of Minnesota's Medicaid program.
"Because nursing homes rely on Medicare to make up for chronic underfunding by
the Medicaid program - an average of $25 per day for every Medicaid
beneficiary in nursing homes in Minnesota - it was critically important to
ensure Medicare reimbursements remain steady and consistent," Cullen
concluded.

SOURCE American Health Care Association

Katherine Lehman (National), +1-202-898-2816, or Lisa Olson (Local),
+1-952-851-2483, both of American Health Care Association