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THCA: Deep Medicare Cuts From Washington Puts Texas Seniors' Nursing Home Care at Great Risk

New Cuts from CMS With Likelihood of More Cuts From Congress Cause for Significant Alarm

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Texas Health Care Association (THCA) today warned that deep, new Medicare cuts instituted Friday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) combined with the possibility of more new Medicare and Medicaid cuts that could result from the pending federal debt ceiling legislation places seniors and caregiver jobs in an extremely perilous position.

"For nursing home patients and those who provide their care, the news out of Washington in terms of new Medicare cuts from CMS and the possibility of more big cuts later from Congress is ominous," warned Tim Graves, President of THCA. "We have already endured deep Medicare cuts passed as part of health care reform, and already face rising patient acuity, shrinking length of stay, escalating costs, and we have the lowest operating margin of all provider groups."

Regarding the CMS regulatory action announced late Friday afternoon, that will result in deep Medicare cuts to Texas beneficiaries. Graves said they went well beyond a more cautious regulatory approach urged not only by the sector, but also by a bipartisan group of House and Senate members.

"We are now assessing the specifics of how the CMS action and the debt ceiling law now being finalized by Congress will impact Texas seniors, our workforce, and will have additional comment as the extent of the potential damage to care quality, jobs and local economic activity is ascertained," Graves said.

SOURCE Texas Health Care Association