OWATONNA & WASECA, MN—Representative John Petersburg, R-Waseca, and Representative Joe Schomacker, R-Luverne, Chair of the House Aging and Long-Term Care Committee visited two area nursing homes Tuesday, touring the facilities and visiting with residents and staff at Koda Living Community in Owatonna and Lake Shore Inn Nursing Home in Waseca.
Reforms passed during the 2015 session will result in over $138 million in increased funding for Minnesota nursing homes by changing the Medicaid reimbursement formula to focus more on cost of care. In 2016, Lake Shore Inn Nursing Home is set to receive $600,665 in additional funding, a 23.61% increase.
The legislature also passed two scholarship programs aimed at bolstering the long-term care and health professional workforce. It's estimated that there are approximately 3,000 nursing home job vacancies currently in Minnesota.
"Bipartisan reforms passed in 2015 will help nursing homes and care centers in our community and across the state," Petersburg said. "I appreciated the opportunity to visit with residents and staff about the bipartisan work done during the 2015 session and hear about opportunities for improvement as we look ahead to next year."
"These visits help us hear directly from residents and staff about the challenges facing care centers in all corners of Minnesota," added Rep. Schomacker. "We passed historic bipartisan reforms in 2015, but with a growing senior population and continuing workforce challenges there's still more work to be done."
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