Commission voices support for state raising Medicaid rates

During their weekly business meeting Thursday the Hill County Commission voted to approve a letter of support for the state raising their Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes.

The letter was signed by all three members of the commission and said the funding to raise these rates is much needed to ensure quality care for local elderly residents and will provide stability to skilled nursing facilities.

“We, as a commission, are very much in support of this rate increase,” Hill County Commission Chair Diane McLean said in the meeting, reading from the letter. “… County taxpayers are being asked to subsidize the state in order to keep our local nursing homes open. Legally, these Medicaid residents are the state’s responsibility but the state is shirking its responsibility.”

The letter said nursing homes around the state are in finacial trouble due to Medicaid not coming close to covering the costs of care for the elderly, and the state isn’t doing enough. Additionally, facilities across Montana are closing as a result, leaving vulnerable people without care.

“This is a problem that needs (to be) corrected in our next legislative session,” the letter reads.