Long Term Care Organizations Praise Representative Clyburn For Effective Effort To Stop Medicare, Medicaid Cuts

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 16 Apr 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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Following a tour of the NHC Parklane nursing facility in Columbia, SC, by U.S. Representative James Clyburn (D-SC) today, state and national leaders of America's largest long term care advocacy organization thanked the Congressman for his successful efforts to derail the Bush Administration's pending $10 billion, five-year cut to Medicare and Medicaid.

"Eighty-five percent of nursing home residents in my district are Medicare or Medicaid recipients. These are our most vulnerable citizens, and I am committed to protecting the vital safety net that insures they receive the care they need," Congressman Clyburn said after touring the long term care facility. "I appreciate the support and care provided by NHC Parklane and similar facilities that provide the excellent, skilled care our elderly and disabled citizens deserve."

"The Administration's proposed Medicare and Medicaid cuts would destabilize long term care for years to come in South Carolina, and we thank Representative Clyburn for his strong, effective efforts to stop funding cuts that would undermine the care needs of our state's most vulnerable seniors and disabled citizens," said Randal Lee, President of the South Carolina Health Care Association (SCHCA) in Columbia, SC, who joined Congressman Clyburn in touring NHC Parklane.

"We thank Congressman Clyburn for taking the time today to get a first-hand look at the challenges we face on the front lines of care," Lee continued. "He clearly understands why we should be investing in our current and future capacity to provide quality care - not cutting key safety net programs for seniors."

Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) in Washington, DC, praised Representative Clyburn and fellow South Carolinian House Budget Chair John Spratt (D-SC) for their efforts earlier this month to sideline the proposed cuts in a key budget vote. Yarwood said, "Congressmen Clyburn and Spratt are two of the most effective lawmakers in Washington, and their leadership in working to ensure our nation's frail, elderly, and disabled retain ready access to quality long term care merits notice and appreciation."

Yarwood noted that while the Medicare and Medicaid cuts were not included in the recently passed congressional budget resolutions, AHCA/NCAL will be working to ensure that funding for these critical programs remains protected as the budget negotiations move to conference in the coming weeks.

The AHCA/NCAL President and CEO also remarked that the majority of nursing home patients rely on Medicare or Medicaid to pay for their long term care as do more than 120,000 assisted living residents nationwide. "Given those 85 and older comprise the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population," he explained, "the need for long term care will continue to increase significantly, and federal funding policies should reflect this reality commensurate with the enormous task at hand."

The American Health Care Association and the National Center For Assisted Living are the nation's leading long term care organizations. AHCA/NCAL and their membership are committed to performance excellence and Quality First, a covenant for healthy, affordable and ethical long term care. AHCA/NCAL represent more than 10,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional and compassionate care provided daily to more than 1.5 million of our nation's frail, elderly and disabled citizens who live in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, subacute centers and homes for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.

www.ahca.org

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