Nebraska senior living centres close over Medicaid rates

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 19:32 · Archive

Two assisted living facilities in Nebraska have closed, displacing almost 100 residents as Medicaid reimbursement rates fail to match healthcare costs.

Two senior living centres in Nebraska have closed, displacing almost 100 residents and leaving many scrambling for new accommodation. The closure of Cambridge Court in Kearney came with only 30 days' notice when its parent company, the Colorado-based Bethesda Foundation, decided to sell the facility to a real estate developer.

Medicaid reimbursement rates in Nebraska have failed to keep pace with rising healthcare costs, putting financial pressure on facilities that depend on the programme to serve low-income residents. In Buffalo County, the state has licensed eight assisted living facilities with a combined 437 beds, but only around half are certified for Medicaid, the programme used by the majority of older people needing long-term care.

Resident Marcia Doty, 77, said the announcement was deeply upsetting. 'It was traumatic for me,' she said. The sudden closure affected morale among all 40 residents at Cambridge Court. 'They were depressed,' Doty recalled. 'It became more quiet, and people didn't connect. They were in their rooms more than anything.' A former employee, Christina Hansen, said the facility 'was an affordable option for families' and 'always served the underserved'.

Some residents found places at nearby facilities, with a Kearney centre agreeing to exceed its usual Medicaid bed capacity to accept Doty and a few neighbours. Others were less fortunate in finding alternative accommodation.

How it is being reported

• Two Nebraska senior living centers close, sending almost 100 people scrambling for a place to liveAs Medicaid reimbursement rates in Nebraska fail to match the rising costs of healthcare, it has put a squeeze on the facilities that rely on the program to serve its low-income residents. That sometimes forces closures such as Cambridge Court.1011Now · 13 Oct, 19:09
• Two Nebraska senior living centers close, sending almost 100 people scrambling for a place to liveAs Medicaid reimbursement rates in Nebraska fail to match the rising costs of healthcare, it has put a squeeze on the facilities that rely on the program to serve its low-income residents. That sometimes forces closures such as Cambridge Court.WOWT · 13 Oct, 19:09

In this story: Marcia Doty · Bethesda Foundation · Christina Hansen · Nebraska · Kearney · Cambridge Court · Buffalo County · Colorado

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