LeadingAge Florida, Florida’s only association representing the entire continuum of care for older adults, issued a statement following action taken today by the Joint Legislative Budget Commission to authorize the release of funding to assist nursing homes dealing with staffing and occupancy challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The statement is attributable to President and CEO Steve Bahmer.
“LeadingAge Florida commends Gov. DeSantis and the legislature for recognizing the critical need for supplemental funding for nursing homes through the authorization of a temporary rate increase.
The increase in Medicaid funding will provide essential short-term relief for many nursing homes to address the ongoing impact of the pandemic, which has included dramatically increased costs, reduced occupancy, and a crisis-level workforce shortage.
However, there is still more work to do. There are nursing homes throughout the state that will not receive any assistance from this funding increase, even though these facilities are also experiencing the same financial challenges as other long-term care providers.
Legislative action is necessary to ensure the nursing homes that will not benefit from the temporary rate increase also receive the funding support that is consistent with the legislative intent of the budget amendment.”
For more than 58 years, LeadingAge Florida has been the state’s leading advocate for high-quality senior living, aging services and care. We are the only statewide association representing the full continuum of care for seniors. The Association provides up-to-date regulatory information, a wide variety of educational opportunities, representation before the Legislature and government agencies, group purchasing services, and opportunities for networking with peers to help member communities best serve the needs of Florida’s senior population.
