North Dakota, National Long Term Care Leaders Praise Conrad, Pomeroy, Dorgan
for Helping Voice Concerns of Seniors, Caregivers in Washington Health Care
Reform Debate
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With North Dakota seniors
facing cuts of up to $75 million in their Medicare-funded nursing home care
over the next ten years as a result of pending health reform legislation in
Congress, North Dakota and national long term care leaders conducted a North
Dakota media teleconference today to praise the North Dakota congressional
delegation for recognizing the specific concerns of seniors and caregivers,
and ensuring the leadership in their respective chambers clearly understand
why seniors' care needs must be a priority in a final bill.
"We thank Senator Kent Conrad, Senator Byron Dorgan and Congressman Earl
Pomeroy for taking a firm, declarative stand when it comes to fighting on
behalf of North Dakota's elderly constituents who need and deserve continued
access to quality nursing home care," stated Shelley Peterson, President of
the North Dakota Long Term Care Association (NDLTCA).
"Focusing much-needed attention on the unique challenges we face in providing
quality care to the vulnerable patients we serve in North Dakota is essential
to eventually passing health care reforms we can all be proud of," she
continued. "As this contentious and unpredictable health reform debate
proceeds, we are counting on the North Dakota delegation to continue fighting
for the interests for our state's most vulnerable citizens and those who
provide their care."
Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of the American Health Care Association
(AHCA) in Washington, D.C. said "the stakes for seniors and those who provide
their care have never been higher," and pointed out that as the nature of
North Dakota's nursing home patient population continues to evolve, federal
and state policymakers should support efforts to facilitate nursing homes'
ability to care for higher-acuity, post-acute Medicare beneficiaries.
"Nursing homes throughout North Dakota have invested heavily in recent years
to increase capabilities to admit, treat and return to home a growing number
of patients requiring intensive rehabilitative care, and to care for patients
with multiple chronic illnesses," stated Yarwood. "In addition to cutting jobs
and damaging our fragile economy, implementing the enormous Medicare cuts we
now see, in the House bill especially, would inhibit our profession's
continued investment in cost effective care."
Peterson and Yarwood noted that deep Medicare funding cuts, if approved in a
final health care package, would come at a time when the Obama Administration
just imposed a regulatory cut to Medicare-financed nursing home care of up to
$16 billion nationally -- translating to at least $22.3 million in North
Dakota alone. These cuts were put into effect by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) on October 1, 2009.
SOURCE North Dakota Long Term Care Association
Rebecca Reid, +1-410-267-1128, for the North Dakota Long Term Care
Association
