Connecticut providers said a 10% increase in Medicaid payments for nursing homes was an “incredibly important step” but not enough to avoid calamity. They then got 5% more.
In early April, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced the state’s 213 nursing homes would receive the 10% Medicaid pay raise for April, May and June to help cover wages, overtime, and staff retention, as well as other coronavirus-associated costs. Included would be related visitor screening, cleaning and personal protective equipment.
The initial $35 million Medicaid package was to pay $600 per day for COVID-19 patients in long-term care facilities, more than double the usual amount, officials said.
Now, providers can look forward to 50% more, thanks to some intense lobbying by the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities/Connecticut Center for Assisted Living, among others, and an administration that saw fit to further flex on funding.
As of April, Connecticut was expected to need about 4,000 ventilators — 3,000 more machines than it had at the time.
