Monday, March 14, 2011

States Kicking Granny to the Curb!

CNN Reports: States Kicking Granny to the Curb! For the elderly, state budget cuts could mean no more daily hot meals and exercise classes to help prevent falls. At worst, some could even lose their beds at the nursing home. These and other lifelines for seniors may disappear as governors and lawmakers slash spending to close an estimated $112 billion in budget shortfalls, advocates say. Many state officials say they don't want to reduce senior services, but they have little choice due to massive deficits. But it's not all bad news. The funding for one senior program in Georgia was restored after legislators agreed the service was too important to cut.

Here's a look at what's at risk for many of the nation's elderly.
Shuttering nursing homes
Among the most dramatic of the proposed cuts is the severe reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates to nursing homes in Texas. Facing a shortfall of up to $27 billion, state lawmakers want to reduce the rate by 10%. But payments to nursing homes would plummet by a total of 34% because they would also lose federal matching funds.

Happy 65th birthday, boomers. Now what?
This could result in the shuttering of 850 of the state's 1,000 nursing homes, forcing up to 45,000 elderly residents to find other accommodations, said David Thomason, chair of the Texas Senior Advocacy Coalition. Texas nursing homes already lose money on Medicaid patients so they could not absorb another reduction, facility operators say. If rates were cut further, many would be forced to stop participating in the Medicaid program and would need to either close the buildings or convert them to other health-related uses.
As it is, Sears Methodist Retirement System in Austin has to solicit donations and charge private patients more to make up the $4 million loss it suffers on its Medicaid residents, said Keith Perry, who heads the non-profit. If the cuts go through, Sears Methodist would have to stop caring for its roughly 400 Medicaid patients, whose average age is 84. "There's no way we could staff those facilities at those reimbursement rates," Perry said. This scenario is terrifying Carol Poor, whose 83-year-old mother lives in an Alzheimer's unit at Christian Care Centers in Gunter, a town north of Dallas. If her mother were discharged, Poor said she would have to retire early from her secretarial job to care for her mother since neither can afford to pay for a nurse or nursing home. "My mother worked and paid taxes all these years," said Poor. "She deserves someone to be there for her." Texas lawmakers did not return calls seeking comment.

Losing their center
On a recent Wednesday in March, dozens of elderly New Yorkers gathered at the Clinton Senior Center in midtown Manhattan for an hour-long yoga class, followed by a hot lunch of pork chops, potatoes, and carrots.
But they soon may have to fend for themselves if New York State does not restore $27 million in funding for New York City's senior centers. Without this money, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said he'll have to close 105 of the city's 256 centers. Clinton would be one of them.
The center's services are critical to keeping these low-income senior citizens living at home, said David Gillcrist, executive director of Project Find, which runs Clinton. They receive a nutritious meal and take classes that improve their balance, strength and confidence. Equally as important, they are able to socialize with friends and not become isolated and depressed. All these services help keep the seniors out of hospitals and nursing homes, which would ultimately cost the city a lot more than the $367,000 it provides to Clinton, Gillcrist said. "It makes no sense to gut one-third of the support network that lets senior citizens age independently," he said.
The city's Department of Aging is trying to blunt the impact of the cuts by maintaining as many services as possible, said a Bloomberg spokesman. But the city, which is facing a $4.6 billion shortfall, cannot make up for the elimination of the state funds. A spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo did not return an email seeking comment.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe if our government stopped shelling out billions for illegal aliens and their anchors through the scam of the 14th, funds wouldn't have to be cut for our own elderly citizens.

By the way, seniors are under Medicare, not Medicaid. Where were you when the Democrat controlled congress refused to give seniors a cost of living raise for the past two years and yet their Medicare Part B payments increased along with everything else that has gone up?

Dee said...

Anon,

These are Low Income Elderly, so they are Dual Eligible, for both medicare and medicaid.

Let me share with you how the process works:

1. Medicare: Eligibility = 65th birthday or on the 24th month following certified Disability

2. Medicaid: Low Income. The elderly may be eligible if their income is less than a certain amount.

check out this website:
http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/medicaid.htm


So what the governors/states are doing with their cuts (particularly Republican Governors) -- they impact the very poor elderly who are disabled and in need of the most help.

Very Sad.

Incidently this has NOTHING to do with Immigration of any kind. This has everything to do with the shenanigans on Wall Street and misappropriations of funds by greedy Big Business.

Dee said...

Use this website:


Social Security - Medicaid




Dual Eligible

Anonymous said...

Since so many states are in dire straits financially it only stands to reason that shelling out billions for illegal aliens is indeed a factor. Remain in denial if you like but it is a fact. It has nothing to do with Wall Street. Our taxpayer coffers has nothing to do with Wall Street or greedy businesses. By the way, those greedy businesses are the ones hiring illegals. You can't chastize them on one hand but on the other hand try to protect the illegals that they hire that are filling their greedy pockets when it should be Americans on their payrolls instead.

Dee said...

Anon,
It is clear you are Brainwashed by the likes of Big Busiiness like the Koch Brothers.

They continue to pollute the environment, hire illegal workers and DEMAND CONTINUED TAX CUTS!!!
They hold Republican Politicians and the Tea Partiers in their Pockets!! All while putting Granny on the execution list!

Don't you Get this!!????!!!

Anonymous said...

Is that granny hispanic? I live in Illinois and it was announced today that IL wants to adopt similar legislation as AZ. GO ILLINOIS!!!! Our state is broke! In Illinois every child illegal or not gets health coverage. Is that fair?

Anonymous said...

is that your relative that had medicare/medicaid? you are very knowledgeable. Why didn't you purchase a secondary insurance for your relative, say your mother? you know you could have afforded it.

Dee said...

Anon,
Again, this has NOTHING to do wth illegal immigration or Latinos. This has EVERYTHING to do with the Economy and the ruthless measures States are using to reduce their budgets, YET they CONTINUE to give Tax Cuts to Big Business!

Note: Only CITIZENS can receive Medicare/Medicaid.
Reference:

MedicareBasics

Dee said...

Anon,
My mother has passed away. Has yours? If not, You should be very concerned about what benefits the states will be taking from her. These cuts may be impacting her directly.

I don't understand the Tea Party members. Why do they support Big Business's efforts to cut Healthcare? Why do Republicans continue to demand Tax Cuts for them? They certainly have you brainwashed!

LMJ said...

Hey Anon, you should talk, I'm sure YOUR mother would appreciate you getting off of her insurance as well as getting a place of your own instead of sitting in front a your computer in her basement

Anonymous said...

I know how the process works and I am quite familiar with both Medicaid and Medicare, mommmy. Who do you think you are talking to? A 10 year old here?

Dee said...

Anon,
I am not publishing your F.A.I.R. references. They prove nothing. As ADL and SPLC have frequently stated, their stats are bogus.

Stop your name calling and profanity. I am not posting your profane comments either.

Quit referencing my Mother. Quit going off topic and referencing Immigration when this topic is clearly about Medicare and Medicaid. (That gets it to about 10 of your off topic profane comments in the last 3 hours I am not posting.) I posted this one so my readers see what I have to put up with. At least in this one you weren't profane.

Who do I think I am talking to? An upset, uptight, off topic, profane, childish commenter on My Blog.

Jane Doe said...

So what is your solution to the huge deficists that our cities and states are experiencing? Keep these programs afloat even though they can't afford them? Why are you chastising them for what is out of their control? They have already said they don't want to cut these programs but they have to. In times of fiscal hardship you have to finance only what is absolutely necessary to keep our cities and states afloat. If you had to choose between your kids retaining their ballet classes or buying them a pair of shoes for school, which would you choose?

Seniors can form their own programs at home and invite other seniors. Potlucks, exercise programs, playing cards and other social activities can all be done at home. I know I sponsor one myself.

As for Medicaid, even low income seniors usually have Medicare that covers most of their costs. Perhaps not nursing homes but that is where the family will have to sacrifice and take care of them. I thought these kinds of family values were supposedly predominant in Hispanic families in particular? Where there is a will there is a way and when cities and states are broke that "way" has to be found within the family unit.

Dee said...

Jane,
The first action of the states should be to STOP their Tax Cuts to the Rich/Big Business. That should be the first item on their agendas. Next, they should be expanding their jobs programs. The more people working, the more money is spent, including Sales Tax and other revenue taxes. Next, study State/Municipal Investments, Revenue producing bonds, etc.
Additionally, do some wage comparisons on thier highest paid officials; identify the outlyers and make the adjustments. Also, study the contractors used by the states and their fees. There are many ways to review and adjust budgets and many areas to save money. Their first consideration should NOT be the desperate elderly. To cut or not to cut is VERY MUCH IN THEIR CONTROL. That is why they are doing it. Because they can.

Anonymous said...

When is Obama going to give us seniors a cost of living raise? It is going on three years now....a broke granny.

Anonymous said...

Jane Doe said...
So what is your solution to the huge deficists that our cities and states are experiencing?
~~~

The answer is easy. Don't ever vote for any of the corporate owned Republican. They will drive the economy into the ditch just like Bush and cronies did. That will eliminate the need for solution to huge deficits that our cities, states, and country are experiencing.

Indigenous Xicano said...

Anonymous falsely wrote:

"By the way, seniors are under Medicare, not Medicaid.'

As a gerontologist who has worked with many low-income elders ( I prefer that term than "seniors") all my clients were also on medicaid to subsidize the costs of their medication and medical care.

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