Nursing Homes Find Mixed Bag in Obama's Proposed Budget

by Administrator 2. March 2009 05:03
By McKnight's Long-Term Care News - Nursing home operators are praising President Obama's proposed 2010 budget for provisions that would help educate and train nurses. But they fear that other parts, including those that call for “bundling” of some Medicare funding for post-acute care, will be harmful. Obama said the goal of bundled payments is to lower hospital readmission rates.

“Upon closer objective examination, we believe this measure may have negative, unintended consequences on our patients, our front line care staff, and the long-term care sector itself,” said Bruce Yarwood, CEO of the American Health Care Association, the largest nursing home association in the United States. “Much important work remains to be done.”

Larry Minnix, the CEO of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, highlighted another part of the budget: a proposal to allocate $1 billion “to capitalize and launch the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop, rehabilitate and preserve affordable housing and increased funding for the project-based rental assistance program to preserve 1.3 million affordable rental units will help moderate income elders find and keep a place to call home.”

Both leaders said late last week that many aspects of the immense budget document still needed to be clarified.

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Aging Successfully | Demographics & Aging | Finance | Gerontology / Geriatrics | Home & Senior Housing | Social Security / Medicare

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About the Author

John Rothbarth is the owner of the St. Louis Times, a media company focused on serving the informational needs of the St. Louis metro-area aging baby boomer/60+ population. The company publishes the St. Louis Times Resource Guide, St. Louis Times Express, and hosts St. Louis Times Funfest and St. Louis Times Geriatrics Symposium events. The company was founded in 1994 and has remained true to its original mission of 'doing some good for older adults and the professionals who work on their behalf.'

Since 1994 the company has won over 20 National Media Awards. He has participated on many local Boards of Directors, all of whom cater to the needs of our area’s aging population. For 2009 he is also President of Breakthrough Coalition, a consortium of over 250 aging-focused organizations and  professionals dedicated to serving the needs of older adults in the St. Louis / Illinois bi-state area.

John is a native St. Louisan, father of two sons, and graduate of the University of Missouri - Columbia with a BS degree in Business Administration. His interests include reading mysteries, jogging, motorcycling, and aviation - he is a pilot with instrument, multi-engine and seaplane ratings.

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