Reflecting upon
an article by Samantha Marcus in The Morning Call, the County Commissioners are hellbent on killing Cedarbrook. Despite a most complete, logical plan to restore it's fiscal health, Commissioner Mike Schware keeps saying that he will withhold any nourishment until there is
a plan in place. Vic Mazziotti's rationale might even be more Catch 22ish; He claims that the plan to attract higher paying Medicare Rehab patients to one wing is contrary to the facilities' low income mission, and that it should stay exclusively with medicaid patients. Both of these absurd, disingenuous arguments mean that Executive Tom Muller will have to improvise to keep the cherished institution alive, until which time more responsible people occupy the dais at Government Center. Commissioner decisions should not just be an ultra conservative ideology formulated in a void, but a localized decision, reflecting the traditions and best outcome for the residents of Lehigh Valley.
photograph by K Mary Hess
Muller's plan does not restore fiscal health. Norco spent $30 million to upgrade Gracedale and it continues to lose more money than ever. Until the state changes the reimbursement formula in the welfare code back to what it was in 2006 county homes will continue to lose money and/or be sold off to the private sector.
ReplyDelete@7:32, i won't dispute you because i don't have such figures, and you're anonymous. however, as a county resident and taxpayer, i accept subsidizing the nursing home; after all, i must do the same with the prison, which has no redeeming value to me.
ReplyDelete"Until the state changes the reimbursement formula in the welfare code.."
ReplyDeleteThe key point about the proposal to create a portion for a rehab facility-- While Medicaid (welfare) short changes county owned homes, Medicare (which is not welfare) pays for rehab that doesn't differentiate between those which are private or county owned. Other counties are already going this route. Last Spring Cumberland County took out a $2 million bond to set aside 39 of it's beds for rehab. It should be up and running by early 2015. Rehabs owned by hospitals are springing up like weeds. That ought to tell you something about the income derived from them.
More importantly rather then commissioners overriding Muller's veto of the $1.25 tax break (about $8 a property) they could have left the budget intact which nearly would have paid for the rehab Cedarbrook proposal.
I really enjoy seeing the words "euthanize" and "Molovinsky" as close together as they are in this here post. Well done, and thank you.
ReplyDeleteOld folks should have saved up during their working years the nanny state is dying, cut until it hurts. Where are the families? Have they no religious or fraternal organizations to fall back on, time to grow up America the tea is brewing.
ReplyDeleteblog mentor@3:34, that's because you're a malicious predator.
ReplyDeleteNot only is the republican controlled state government unwilling to do something about pensions they also refuse to do anything about changing the reimbursement formula in the welfare code. My My these are very influential commissioners we have here in lehigh county.
ReplyDelete