An amendment to the pending economic stimulus bill aims to ensure seniors who rely on Medicaid will not be left out in the cold.
The Grassley Amendment stipulates that a state shall not be eligible for state Medicaid funds if they cut seniors’ eligibility standards or reduce provider payments.
In a letter sent today, the Coalition to Protect Senior Care (CPSC) urged for politicians and other organizations to support the amendment and urged Congress to question states how they expect to use Medicaid funds in their respective areas.
"The Grassley Amendment will go a long way to help prevent states from shifting the money out of the Medicaid program, or from cutting current spending levels," Lori Porter, a national spokeswoman for the CPSC, wrote in the letter.
Porter also said skilled nursing care workers struggle in their daily responsibilities because "of a lack of funding from the very Medicaid program designed to serve as a safety net for the sick and poor."
According to the CPSC, the US Medicaid programs are stretched to the limit and skilled nursing care alone is underfunded by more than $4.2 billion a year.
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