ST. PAUL — Care facilities in House District 9A would receive funding increases through a Health and Human Services omnibus bill (H.F. 1638) the House passed early Wednesday morning.
"There is a growing need for care for the elderly, disabled and others," said Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Lake Shore. "Our society is aging. Unfortunately, over time ill-advised spending increases in other areas of the budget have siphoned dollars away from the real priorities like providing care for people who rely on it. It is good to see this legislation lowers the overall trajectory of spending growth so we can do more to support long-term care because this is a long-term issue."
The House Republicans' HHS bill implements a statewide reimbursement system that will result in a funding increase for nursing homes, particularly in Greater Minnesota, totaling more than $138 million. In addition, the bill includes $90 million for a one-time, 5-percent cost-of-living adjustment for home and community-based care workers.
According to non-partisan House Research, nursing home facilities in District 9A will receive substantial increases in 2016 under the House Republican proposal, including:
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Central Todd Co. Care Center, Clarissa: $563,668 increase (18.7-percent increase)
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Lakewood Health System, Staples: $2.2 million increase (39-percent increase)
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Fair Oaks Lodge, Wadena: $521,712 increase (17-percent increase)
The bill passed the House 72-60. It now advances to a conference committee, which will work to resolve differences between respective House and Senate HHS proposals in preparation for final passage.
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