Even in States with Medicaid Increases, Nursing Home Closures Pile Up
Skilled Nursing News April 12, 2024
Despite a 17.5% Medicaid increase last year, at least 25 nursing homes closed in Pennsylvania since the pandemic began – and a significant financial shortfall remains, leaders said. Closures equate to a loss of 2,588 certified nursing home beds in the state since 2020.
The continued workforce shortage and underfunding of Medicaid made closures and sales to “profit-motivated entities” a harsh reality for residents and their families – and could have contributed to the dire state of affairs for the sector in Pennsylvania, according to Garry Pezzano, president and CEO of LeadingAge PA.
LeadingAge PA is advocating for a $70 million increase in Medicaid funding for nursing homes specifically and a minimum $8.9 million toward Pennsylvania’s Living Independence for the...