AUSTIN, TX — The following statement was released Jan. 19 by Bob Jackson, director of AARP Texas, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization with more than 2 million members in Texas dedicated to serving the needs of the 50+ population:
“The proposed 10 percent cut to Medicaid providers would take a heavy toll on both nursing homes and community care, with costly consequences for the state of Texas both in terms of money and, more importantly, human lives.
“The Legislature shouldn’t use across-the-board percentage reductions to mask the real impact these budget cuts will have on Texas seniors. Cuts to Medicaid rates would put the lives of nursing home residents at risk by reducing facility staff and care for our most vulnerable. Texas already pays the second lowest Medicaid nursing home reimbursement rates in the country. Further, the budget would also reduce the number of state staff responsible for ensuring the quality and safety of Texas nursing homes. Cuts to rates and oversight will degrade the quality of care received by patients, creating an enormously dangerous situation for real people.
“For community-based care, rate cuts would essentially eliminate the supply of workers, pushing more people into nursing homes, which is more expensive for the state. When we pay people more to work at a fast-food restaurant than we do to provide care for our elders, we’re sending a strong message about the value this state places on older Texans.
“While we fully appreciate the tough challenges at hand for this Legislature, pulling the rug out from seniors at both ends of the long-term care service spectrum is penny wise and pound foolish. We must all make sure that Texas seniors and their families know what’s at stake.”
