Boost state Medicaid funding for long-term care
By The Herald Editorial Board
It’s a uncomfortable statistic — especially for those who are nearing retirement age or are already there — that 70 percent of adults who reach the age of 65 are likely at some point in their lives to need long-term nursing care supports and services, including home-based care, assisted-living care or nursing home care, either funded privately or by Medicaid, according to a 2019 study for the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
That statistic — with a large number of the state’s baby boom population now past the age of 65, nearly 16 percent of the state’s 8 million people — also is bumping up against funding concerns as state lawmakers begin budget discussions that will pit legitimate funding needs against a $10 billion to $12 billion gap over the next four years between projected revenue and the state’s previous rate of spending.
While state lawmakers in recent years have addressed concerns that improved pay for those providing care — in particular at skilled nursing facilities and assisted-living centers — that need has been largely met in piecemeal fashion, dependent on renewals, rather than a sustainable, long-term commitment to providing well-funded care.
That care can be intensive, putting a premium on the work of trained and certified workers.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-boost-state-medicaid-funding-for-long-term-care/