About 4 weeks ago I had a good conversation with Brianna from the Daily News about Samaritan Campus. Last Saturday she wrote up an article about our conversation for the Newspaper.
I have highlighted in yellow a correct, where the newspaper accidentally misquoted me. The newspaper article stated that I wanted to maximize costs, which is absurd. Ironically, in the next sentence I talk about being cost effective. I have corrected that phrase to what I think I must have said (based on my memory 4 weeks later of the conversation).
WEST BEND - The coronavirus may be the top issue on people’s minds now, but there are other challenges facing the county. Senior care is one of these challenges, including the government’s role in helping aged residents who cannot afford to pay out of pocket but require medical assistance.
As the former human resources director for
a few assisted living facilities, Washington County Board District 3 Supervisor
Chris Bossert has some knowledge of the industry and understands the
challenges.
At the core is funding, with Samaritan
Health Center and others accepting Medicaid exemplifying the tough decision.
Medicare does not cover longterm care services, and in Wisconsin, the Medicaid
waiver model covers some services but not room and board. Many senior care businesses
have to decide between helping those in greatest need at a financial loss or
turning those away to stay profitable.
For now, Samaritan’s current cost model is
able to afford Medicaid residents, although the government reimbursement is
low. By accepting Medicare, the facility, in this case Samaritan, receives a
fraction of the payment from the state and has to look elsewhere to recoup the
rest.
“It partly involves using the independent
and assisted living projects’ proceeds that are beyond operating costs to help
supplement the skilled nursing facility operations,” Bossert said. “We need to
look at ways to maximize
reimbursements and be able to get more reimbursement from Medicare to help out,
maybe looking at staffing ratios and making sure we have correct proportions
that are cost-effective.”
More of a bubble
Long-term funding will be difficult if the
present health care shortage continues without any increase in financial
assistance from the state or federal government. And neither are committing to
greater contributions, Bossert said.
“We’re in a period of peak employment, so
competing for skilled, quality staff is challenging, and the cost of staffing
is going up at a far quicker pace than the Medicare reimbursements are,” he
said.
Many look at the baby boomers and see a fast
approaching influx of seniors needing care. This group will be larger than in
the recent past and will require adjustments. But Bossert sees it not as a
sharp incline, but a wave.
“Looking at 30 years from now, after the
baby boomer bubble passes, the need will decrease,” he said, “so if we build
for the short term and don’t look at the long term, in 30 or 40 years we might
have a half-empty facility.”
Working with consultants is key, Bossert
said, to make sure both short and long term needs are considered.
Independent review of Samaritan
An independent review of Samaritan is
underway to help the County Board determine if an expansion or reduction is
needed, and until this information is presented, Bossert said he is keeping an
open mind. He is encouraging residents to share their thoughts on the matter,
and many have expressed an interest in supporting Samaritan.
“Being in county government, there is an
expectation we will provide a little bit of a safety net for those who have
exhausted their 401K, or didn’t work for an employer who provided a guaranteed
pension,” he said. “For some people, when money runs out and their health
starts to decline and they need a higher level of care, there is an expectation
the government won’t just tell them they’re on their own.”
There is a limit to this, he said; it must
be viable and able to fit within a balanced budget.
“We have to do this in a way that’s
fiscally prudent to the taxpayers,” Bossert said. “Ideally the amount of
taxpayer money you want to waste is zero dollars; it should be a meaningful
investment.”
But to keep Samaritan open, health and
safety needs are pressing. There are problems with the air conditioning,
requiring a temporary unit on site in summer to ensure safe climate control.
The elderly are more sensitive to climate issues, Bossert said, and this can be
potentially life-threatening. So if the 53-year-old facility is not rebuilt, it
needs a new air system and the original generator must be replaced.
“In terms of construction, it needs to
significantly improve quality of care, or I’d lean toward a different plan that
sticks to the essential issues,” he said.
