As summer approaches, John E. Gage is again sounding the alarm about the precarious financial condition of nursing homes across the state. The timing is no accident, as June marks the stretch run of the annual General Assembly session.
Since the start of the pandemic, six nursing homes have closed in the state. Gage, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Health Care Association, expects more will follow without financial help from the state.
“Nursing homes are facing an economic and workforce crisis that is unprecedented,” Gage warned recently.
The long-term fix is for state leaders to significantly increase historically low Medicaid reimbursement rates that contribute to low pay in the industry.
Nursing homes also face looming penalties for failing to comply with a minimum staffing law. These fines, which Gage says would total $60 million in the first year, were temporarily halted by a now-expired executive order from the governor.
Gage is calling for another delay in enforcement, which is the least state leaders can do to ease the ongoing financial crisis.
