Singer Bill to Study Health of Nursing Homes Advances

Commission Will Consider Impact of Medicaid Reimbursement Changes

Legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Singer that would create a commission to study the impact of increased hourly reimbursements on nursing homes was approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.

“We need to understand what the rate changes mean to the important services provided at these facilities,” said Singer (R-30). “Did they have an effect on staffing, the cost of care for residents, or the financial health of nursing homes? It’s imperative to discover if there has been an impact on patient care, and this bill will help us get the answers.”

Singer’s measure (S-51) would establish the nine-member “Impact of Medicaid Personal Care Services Reimbursement Change on Nursing Homes Study Commission” to collect and evaluate data from nursing homes, including whether any facilities closed after the effective date of the rate changes.

Under the bill, the commission is required to submit a written report to the Governor and Legislature not more than 12 months after its first meeting.

New Jersey nursing homes say they are losing more than $400 million a year. Homes providing care for Medicaid residents lose close to $50 a day for each client, according to the Health Care Association of New Jersey.