NORTH LIMA, Ohio (WKBN) — Potential cuts to Medicaid are raising alarms for senior care facilities across the country. In the Mahoning Valley, administrators say they’re already struggling to meet the needs of their residents.Behind the doors of Caprice Senior Care, more than 70 residents, many with serious and complex medical needs, receive round-the-clock care from dialysis to tracheotomy support — specialized treatm...
NORTH LIMA, Ohio (WKBN) — Potential cuts to Medicaid are raising alarms for senior care facilities across the country. In the Mahoning Valley, administrators say they’re already struggling to meet the needs of their residents.
Behind the doors of Caprice Senior Care, more than 70 residents, many with serious and complex medical needs, receive round-the-clock care from dialysis to tracheotomy support — specialized treatment for patients who can no longer manage on their own.
“The population is getting old, people are living longer with medical advancements. There’s a need for long-term care,” said Joey Cilone, a Caprice licensed administrator.
Proposed cuts to Medicaid could change that. Up to $880 billion in a new U.S. House of Representatives budget plan has senior care centers such as Caprice bracing for impact.
“We have probably close to 80% of our residents here who use Medicaid. With that decreasing, that’s going to be a killer for us. We already get paid about 80 cents on the dollar for Medicaid. If that goes down even farther, we’re going to have a hard time keeping the quality up that we’re known for,” Cilone said.
In Ohio, Medicaid is a primary funding source for long-term care. The new budget would roll back much of the Medicaid expansion introduced under the Affordable Care Act, potentially shrinking the safety net for seniors and people with disabilities.
Caprice says it’s also facing a staffing shortage, and without adequate reimbursement, competing for top talent becomes difficult.
“That’s going to really hurt us. We’re not going to be able to get the best talent we need to because we’re not going to be able to pay with other industries that can raise their prices. We can’t do that,” Cilone said.
U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli has expressed concerns over what cuts to Medicaid would do. Caprice continues to champion top-tier care, but without sufficient funding, the path forward looks uncertain.
“We have to work to live within our means here, and if that gets cut, I don’t know what the future looks like. Our team will assess it, see what we have to do to continue to give the best care we can, but that will be increasingly difficult if the funding isn’t there,” Cilone said.