Boehner Thanked for Opposing Funding Cut to Medicare Ben...( Congressman Expresses Concern Ove...),Health

Congressman Expresses Concern Over Looming Skilled Nursing Facility Funding Cut

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Ohio Health Care Association (OHCA) and the American Health Care Association (AHCA) today praised Ohio Congressman and Republican Leader John Boehner (R-West Chester) for advancing the growing bipartisan effort in Congress to prevent the Bush Administration from moving forward with regulatory-driven cuts to seniors' Medicare Part A nursing home funding - cuts that will result in Ohio seniors losing $45million in the year ahead.

Congressman Boehner issued a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt which expresses his concern that high-quality skilled nursing care for America's seniors will be threatened if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) moves forward with an administrative proposal that would cut $770 million in Medicare funding for skilled nursing facility (SNF) care in 2009 and more than $4 billion over the next five years.

"We thank Congressman Boehner for opposing these cuts because seniors' care needs will be shortchanged and our state economy and jobs base will be damaged," stated Peter Van Runkle, Executive Director of OHCA. "The Bush Administration's proposed Medicare cuts not only threaten Ohio seniors' access to quality care throughout the state, but will also negatively impact our state's economy and local employment base."

"It is highly significant that Congressman Boehner, as Republican Leader, has joined the growing effort to speak out and oppose the Administration's Medicare funding reductions, and we thank him for doing so," said Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of AHCA. "His support further demonstrates how members of the President's own party have objectively evaluated how these cuts will hurt their state's Medicare beneficiaries, and are now acting upon that determination to protect their elderly constituents."

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