NH Senate MUST Build on NH House Efforts
NH Nursing Home Staff Top-Notch, But Exhausted
Most residents in nursing homes are on Medicaid, and dedicated caregivers and support staff are there to serve them. And, yet, too often we are not there for these workers, even after the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted unprecedented trauma.
Although research proves the nursing home sector gave the largest wage increases in all health care during the pandemic (in NH, wage costs went up 23.7% from 2019-21, and are up more since), it also saw the biggest employment drop. Predatory out-of-state staffing agencies exploit the crisis.
New Hampshire has one of the nation's 6-worst staffing shortfalls, forcing those needing nursing home care to wait in hospitals or at home .
We Can Make Things Better!
Building on an increase proposed by Governor Sununu, the NH House would give long-term care a significant Medicaid boost in the next two-year budget, and the NH Senate should follow suit.
Consider what some other states did in 2022.
Nebraska: 17% rate increase. Pennsylvania: 17.5% rate increase, and $131 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funds for nursing homes, and $26.5 million for assisted living. Wisconsin: 23% rate increase by covering 91% of care costs.
On March 20, 2023, Alabama Gov. Ivey gave nursing homes another $100 million in ARP funds, on top of $40 million previously.
Keep Care Accessible
Encourage NH state senators to save our state's fragile long-term care system by investing a 15% Medicaid funding increase to address an unprecedented crisis.
The situation is urgent: We do not want the tragic closures, resident displacement, and job losses experienced in other states. We have already seen pandemic-forced closures of two Medicaid-serving, family-run NH assisted living facilities.
The state has the revenue necessary to save long-term care.
