When is enough really enough

“You can only sit on the frustration of wanting to express something for so long.” William Hurt

 

In 2018:

  • The largest nursing home provider in Texas filed for bankruptcy, as did others
  • One of largest nursing home providers in the country left Texas
  • Cost report data indicated that 1 out of every 4 nursing homes in Texas had a loss of greater than $250,000

In 2019:

  • Following 18 months of extensive effort and coordination, the industry presented a no cost funding solution to the state of Texas that directed 100% of new funds towards improving nursing home quality.
  • The industry proposed an alternative solution, modeled after funding mechanism used by hospitals that have passed the legislature the past three sessions, yet it wasn’t enough
  • Over 56,000 emails were sent to legislators and state officials in support of increased funding
  • Hundreds of face-to-face visits were made with lawmakers in Austin asking for relief and financial support
  • The legislature turned its back once again on long term care in Texas when it comes to funding.

We were successful this legislative session in other areas outside of funding. But as the saying goes, “without a margin, there’s no mission”.  While you’ll see changes and improvements in the IDR process and requirements for accessibility of surveyors, if there’s no facility to survey or to care for patients in the community, then when do the elderly in Texas really matter?

Enough is enough.  Waiting on more closures that result in access to care issues should not be the trigger for funding.  The fact that we have the highest number of one- and two-star facilities in the country and the lowest reimbursement in the country should be all the lawmakers need to know.

Yet, you all keep fighting and you all keep doing the best you can with what you have and that is inspiring.  I will continue fighting for you as long as it takes and we will find a way.

I want to thank each and every one of you who made the thousands of calls to your legislators, made visits to the Capitol in Austin, encouraged your staff and families to make contact and were willing to write letters/emails and Op-Eds work you do and the challenges you face.

Thank you for what you do for your communities on a daily basis and hope to see all of you in Bastrop later this month at Summer meeting.

Onward and Upward