New Poll Shows Strong Opposition to Cutting Medicare Payments for Nursing Home Care to Finance Health Care Reform

With Congress back in session this week, federal lawmakers are getting back to work on health care reform and examining how to finance the changes.  In a recent survey by the Mellman Group, the study finds that Americans, by significant margins, strongly oppose cutting Medicare-funded nursing home care over other funding options. Underscoring the unpopularity of cutting Medicare-financed nursing home care – the data finds a full 66% of voters less likely to support their local member of Congress for reelection if they voted to cut seniors’ Medicare-funded care to finance health care reform, believing that cutting such payments would reduce quality care.

“From the results of this objective, timely and highly significant national survey, it is abundantly clear the public, to its credit, harbors strong antipathy to slashing Medicare beneficiaries’ nursing home benefits to finance any broader reform package,” stated Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of AHCA. “We strongly support the laudable objective of the Obama Administration and Congress to expand Americans’ access to care, and help bring down health care costs. However, we will continue to warn both on Capitol Hill and at the local level how and why the $32 billion Medicare cuts now under consideration will not only harm seniors’ ongoing access to quality nursing home care, but also jeopardize the jobs of the key frontline caregivers who make a significant difference in patients’ care outcomes.”

For the full survey results, click here.

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