By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri lawmakers on Tuesday sent Governor Bob Holden legislation designed to sizably increase Medicaid payments to nursing homes.
The homes would receive $16 million more in state funds during the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. The boost would grow to $65 million by 2007.
And, because state appropriations attract matching funds from the federal government, total state-and-federal reimbursements to Missouri nursing homes would increase by $167 million by 2007.
Nursing home operators say they need more money to stay in business. They get reimbursed for taking care of patients on Medicaid, but the owners say the program underpays them by $20 per patient per day.
The measure won Senate approval last month and received final House passage Tuesday.
It calls for re-calculating the state's spending for Medicaid patients in nursing homes. Reimbursements would increase over three years to what nursing homes claim are their actual costs.
Missouri nursing homes are receiving $446 million dollars from state and federal governments this year.