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December 6, 2001 Turning Our Attention to ‘The Greatest Generation’ By Jim Kreider, Speaker Missouri House of Representatives As the population of the state ages, the need for long-term senior citizen care facilities increases. Advances in the medical field now helps all of us live longer, healthier lives, but with these miracles comes the need to provide the quantity and quality care our senior citizens deserve. Due to a growing concern over the quality of nursing home care in the state and the possible shortage of facilities, I established the House Interim Committee on Nursing Home Caregiving this past year. The House interim committee delivered its report to me last month. In the report, the committee recommends changes to the inspection process and backs funding increases for Missouri’s 600 nursing home facilities. According to the current system of Medicaid payments -- which pays for about 60 percent of all residents -- each facility receives a daily, per-resident rate tied to the facility’s 1992 costs with annual inflation adjustments. This system has lead to a varying rate of reimbursement for facilities, even ones in the same area. The committee recommends a restructuring of the reimbursement rates to match current per-resident costs for nursing home facilities. The increased costs to the state could be offset by federal intergovernmental transfer funds, which allows states to increase the federal government’s portion of Medicaid payments. Missouri is expected to draw approximately $270 million from these funds this fiscal year. Other recommendations by the House interim committee include reducing the frequency of state inspections, from twice a year to once a year, of nursing homes that have consistently been in full compliance with state safety and health codes. This reduction, according to the committee, could free up the much-needed inspectors to concentrate on those facilities with considerable problems. The committee also recommends that the state Department of Health adopt uniform inspection procedures for all facilities. Some nursing home operators testified that the inspection procedures are not consistent from inspector to inspector. Violations that one inspector will call serious are not even documented by others. The committee report will be used by the Missouri General Assembly in determining what, if any, legislation needs to be enacted during the upcoming 2002 legislative session. The senior citizens of Missouri, as members of a group fondly referred to as “The Greatest Generation,â€deserve the best possible care that can be provided at a cost that is manageable by their families. It is our duty to make sure that those who cannot protect or care for themselves receive the help and care they need. | |||||
Paid for by Kreider for Senator.
Bobby Neal Jr., Treasurer. Not at taxpayer's expense.
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