Long-term care in Florida, New York and California will suffer the most under a new House bill that proposes freezing Medicare Part A payments to skilled nursing facilities in fiscal year 2008, according to the American Health Care Association.

Florida will see a loss of $205 million over five years, while New York and California each will experience a cut of about $180 million during that time, AHCA said. Other states that will be hard hit by the bill are Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan and Indiana. AHCA based its figures on data from the Congressional Budget Office and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Providers have criticized the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 (CHAMP Act) because it would raise funding for a children’s health insurance program largely through Medicare cuts to skilled nursing facilities and other Medicare plans. The House is expected to consider the bill for passage this week.