Florida Health Care Association (FHCA), representing nearly 700 nursing homes and assisted living facilities across Florida, issued the following statement in response to the Legislature fully funding Medicaid for nursing home care in the FY 2021-22 state budget.
The statement is attributable to Emmett Reed, Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Health Care Association.
“FHCA appreciates the Legislature for fully funding the nursing home Medicaid budget and supporting Florida’s nursing centers, which have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 public health emergency for over a year. The dedicated professionals who care for Florida’s long term care residents have performed truly heroic work throughout this pandemic, and being properly funded ensures they have the ability to maintain their progress of keeping residents safe while delivering the high-quality care our state’s seniors need and deserve.
We want to thank President Simpson, Senator Stargel, Senator Bean, Speaker Sprowls, Representative Trumbull and Representative Avila, along with their colleagues, for making sure this year’s budget keeps Medicaid funding intact for our state’s nursing centers. We recognize the challenges that lawmakers had in developing a budget in a COVID-19 environment, and we applaud them for prioritizing Florida’s most vulnerable who rely on our nursing centers for 24-hour care and support. Our nursing centers remain focused on doing their part to put an end to this pandemic, and proper funding ensures they have the critical resources that are needed to support their heroic staff and meet the ongoing needs of residents.”
ABOUT THE FLORIDA HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION
The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) is a federation that serves nearly 1,000 members and represents nearly 700 long-term care facilities that provide skilled nursing, post-acute and subacute care, short-term rehab, assisted living, and other services to the elderly and individuals with disabilities in Florida. The mission of FHCA is to advance the quality of services, image, professional development, and financial stability of its members. As Florida’s first and largest advocacy organization for long-term care providers and the elderly they serve, the Association has worked diligently since 1954 to assist its members with continuously improving quality of care and quality of life for the state’s growing elder care population. For more information about the Florida Health Care Association, visit http://www.fhca.org.
