Madison – Following the Joint Finance Committee’s omnibus motion for the Department of Health Services (DHS) yesterday evening, Rep. Rick Gundrum (R – Slinger) issued the following statement regarding long-term care funding under Medicaid:
“I applaud my colleagues on the Joint Finance Committee for continuing to prioritize the investment in essential programs and services for our aging and disabled populations. The individuals within these populations are disproportionately dependent upon the assistance provided through Wisconsin’s Medicaid program. While the persistent challenges facing our nursing home industry, assisted living facilities, and direct care workforce are not solely attributable to Medicaid funding, it is certainly an important piece of the puzzle.
Yesterday evening’s vote on DHS funding for the upcoming 2019-21 budget reveals that legislative Republicans can sustain significant investments in long-term care without fundamentally altering the scope of the state’s Medicaid program and its traditional eligibility categories.”
