Tennessee Medicare Revisions Cut the Number of Nursing Home Residents
According to a July 2012 Washington Post report, a Tennessee revision of its Medicare long-term care program has gained national attention. As Tennessee nursing home injury lawyers, we would like to share the changes that will affect some of the low-income elderly in the state.
The TennCare Medicaid program changes focus on the bottom line, with a mandate to save $47 million. It targets those Tennessee elderly who perhaps do not need the full-time care of a nursing home and pays up to $15,000 per year to keep these residents in their homes, providing services either in the home or through adult day-care programs.
It costs $55,000 annually to provide full-time nursing home care for these same people. TennCare, which is funded by federal and state dollars, is like other states and also covers the disabled, children and pregnant women. The total dollar amount spent by the state on long-term care for the elderly is $1.1 billion.
Gordon Bonnyman, Tennessee Justice Center executive director, worries that $15,000 is not enough to support some of the affected senior citizens. He said that “a lot of frail people are not going to make it on the reduced package.”
However, most of Tennessee’s nursing home residents would prefer to be at home. According to Bolivar resident, Sarah Stewart, who took advantage of a 2009 change allowing nursing home residents to receive care at home, “You just kind of lose your independence in a nursing home. I just prefer to be at home and be independent.”
Stewart, who left a nursing home last fall, receives help from a caregiver five days a week for six hours a day. The caregiver tends to housework, shopping and personal needs.
The new program, which took effect last month, has also instituted a more rigorous qualifying point system that will eliminate more people from receiving nursing home care.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
Read more about Thomas R. Greer