Governor's proposal would be devastating to frail elderly and disabled Ohioans
COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ohio Skilled Nursing Care
Coalition, consisting of the three organizations representing Ohio's skilled
nursing facilities that together care for more than 80,000 frail elderly and
disabled Ohioans, today expressed their alarm over the "budget framework"
Governor Ted Strickland announced late Friday.
"While we respect the Governor's effort to confront the budgetary challenges
Ohio faces and his willingness to consider additional sources of revenue, his
proposed framework is devastating to Ohio's elderly," said Peter Van Runkle,
Executive Director of the Ohio Health Care Association. "Skilled nursing
facilities have taken the brunt of past budget-cutting exercises, and our part
of the safety net for vulnerable Ohioans would simply be shredded."
Victoria Gresh, Executive Director of The Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes, Inc.,
added, "This new proposal is even worse than the ill-advised plan that the
House and Senate has already rejected. We urge them to do it again." She
pointed out that skilled nursing facilities are being subjected to a massive
fee increase that will generate over a billion dollars in revenue to help fund
Medicaid services for children and adults, but are receiving nothing back but
reimbursement cuts. "It puts our frail seniors, who have nowhere else to turn,
at risk," she said.
"Our mission is providing the best care we can to people who are unable to
care for themselves," said John Alfano, President and Chief Executive Officer
of AOPHA (Association of Ohio Philanthropic Homes, Housing, and Services for
the Aging). "The Governor's proposed cuts will cost thousands of jobs, and I'm
afraid some facilities that are important parts of their communities will have
to close," he concluded.
SOURCE Skilled Nursing Care Coalition
Wayne Hill, Skilled Nursing Care Coalition, (Mobile) +1-216-408-1211; John
Alfano, AOPHA, (O) +1-614-444-2882; Victoria Gresh, The Ohio Academy of
Nursing Homes, Inc., (O) +1-614-461-1922; Pete Van Runkle, Ohio Health Care
Association, (O) +1-614-540-1329
