Moreover, this proposed cut eliminates federal social security payments to nursing homes for Medicaid-dependent residents who either return to a nursing home or arrive to a home for the first time for rehabilitative services after a hospitalization because of a heart attack, stroke or serious fall. These lost social security payment dollars – totaling $19 million – bring the real total loss for the care of nursing home residents to $49 million.

This cut will put thousands of Illinois nursing home residents in serious peril. During the three-year period of previous nursing home budget cuts, 37 Illinois facilities closed their doors. In that same time, costs increased by 24 percent. Our residents and the nursing home profession cannot physically or financially afford another cut.

Illinois nursing home residents are our parents and grandparents – people who worked all their lives to build our families, our neighborhoods and our country. Now, when they can’t care for themselves anymore, they need our help. We implore your readers to call their local state senator and state representative to stop this Medicaid budget cut to nursing home residents – one that will be devastating to our state’s most fragile population.