Gov. Martin O'Malley (D)

The Health Facilities Association of Maryland is asking the state to support a bill that would raise the quality assessment tax.

The Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (S.B. 141) proposes an increase of 2% in the Nursing Home Quality Assessment.

“Enactment of this bill and an accompanying 2 percent Medicaid reimbursement rate increase would leverage more federal dollars that would help restore approximately half of the previous cuts,” said HFAM President Joe DeMattos in a Baltimore Sun editorial.

Budget shortfalls have forced Maryland to cut $180 million from the Medicaid long-term care budget. Federal cuts have compounded the problem, he wrote.

“The restored funds would go directly back into the provider community to help care for 25,000 older and disabled Marylanders,” DeMattos said.