HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania passed the 2022-23 state budget on July 8, and one of the key parts of this budget included more funding for nursing homes.
In support of this, Gov. Tom Wolf has joined Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Pa. Health Care Association (PHCA), and LeadingAge, which he announced at a press conference on Monday.
The conference highlighted the historic funding increase(s) as more than $500 million will be allocated to long term care facilities. This means $35 more per day, per resident living in nursing homes.
The new funding will also help increase employee salaries, workforce recruitment efforts, and better overall care for nursing home residents.
Officials say the new increases are far overdue especially because of the challenges of the pandemic.
"Far too often the hard work of the folks back here, people who run these homes, run these facilities, their work has gone unacknowledged and unrewarded," Gov. Wolf said Monday. "It's just one small piece of evidence that Pennsylvania's nursing home regulations have not been updated for 25 years."
Beginning in Jan. 2023, there will be an increase in Medicaid reimbursements, which is the largest Medicaid reimbursement increase for nursing home resident care during a single Pennsylvania budget-cycle.
Funds from the American Rescue Plan will begin being allocated in the next two to three months.