Davenport, IA - In thanking U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) for touring ManorCare Health Services - Utica Ridge today, Davenport's local skilled nursing facility (SNF) care community demonstrated why facilities like this across Iowa are vital to Iowa seniors, the Davenport-area's local economy and workforce, and a key piece of the policy puzzle in terms of helping to improve care quality and reduce healthcare costs.
"Our patients and staff appreciate the time Congressman Loebsack took to visit our facility, and to see first-hand how nursing homes like ours are evolving to meet the needs of a more diverse patient population," stated Kim Hufsey, administrator at ManorCare Health Services - Utica Ridge. "We welcome the opportunity to meet with lawmakers so that they can more fully understand why nursing homes of the 21st Century, like ours, are vital to helping more seniors return home more quickly, and why it has never been more important for our lawmakers to preserve, protect and defend the Medicare funding our patients depend upon for quality care."
Hufsey pointed to a new study finding Iowa nursing homes and the patients under their care face a $30 million cumulative reduction in Medicare funding in 2013-14 as a result of several different federal budgetary actions and regulatory payment changes made by Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) since 2009. Nationally, nursing homes and their patients face nearly $4 billion in reductions in 2013-14, and a $65 billion reduction over 10 years, according to the independent health policy advisory firm, Avalere Health.
"It was great to meet with all of the patients, employees and administrators at ManorCare Utica Ridge and see all the wonderful work that is being done there. Facilities like these are important pillars in our community, providing jobs as well as important services to local residents," said Congressman Dave Loebsack. "Having been raised in part by my grandmother, I know first-hand how critical Medicare is to our seniors, which is why I will always fight to preserve and protect it. I also know how essential it is to help our seniors return home quickly to their families. It is places like ManorCare that can serve as an example toother healthcare providers when it comes to providing the quality, affordable care that our seniors need."
ManorCare Health Services - Utica Ridge treats primarily post-acute care patients in need of short-term rehabilitation or therapy care before returning home to independent living. Participants in today's tour stressed the increasingly important role of nursing homes in the nation's evolving healthcare system, particularly among high-acuity, short-stay patients.
"Unfortunately, our current post-acute care system relies on a siloed payment structure that does not achieve efficiency in spending, or do enough to help us sustain our quality improvement initiatives," Hufsey continued. "We encourage lawmakers to advance policies that improve patient care and foster stability in a healthsector already under stress due to recent Medicare funding cuts and regulatory payment changes ? changes which directly impact our vulnerable nursing home patients, our fragile front-line care workforce, and economically-stressed facilities across Iowa."
"It will be essential for our Washington leaders to help sustain Medicare funding levels in a manner that ensures the ongoing stability of our facility," added Hufsey. "We look forward to working with Congressman Loebsack to ensure his elderly constituents always have access to the quality long term and post-acute care they deserve, and can continue to return homeafter successful rehabilitation as soon as possible."
The Avalere study projects the 2013-14 budgetary impact on Iowa based on the following major government actions since 2009: Affordable Care Act (ACA) productivity adjustment ($10.8 million cut in 2013); Case-Mix Adjustment in FY 2010 CMS Rule ($11.2 million regulatory reduction in 2013); Forecast Error Adjustment in FY 2011 CMS Rule ($2 million regulatoryreduction in 2013); Sequestration provision of Budget Control Act ($6.6 million cut on January 1, 2013); Bad Debt provision in March 2012 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act ($3.1 million cut 2012-14 beginning October 1, 2012). Additional information and methodology notes available at www.aqnhc.org
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