Coalition of Caregivers Warns Congress of Danger to Oldest U.S. Seniors if Medica...( U.S. Reps. Shelley Moore Capito a...),Health

U.S. Reps. Shelley Moore Capito and Tom Allen Express Bipartisan Concern About Threat to Care Quality

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Warning that cuts to seniors' Medicare Part A nursing home benefit would endanger the quality of care and quality of life of America's frail, elderly and disabled citizens dependent upon skilled nursing care, a broad array of clinician and caregiver groups today urged Congress to end consideration of Medicare funding reductions. Front-line caregivers are mobilizing to alert and educate seniors, caregivers and elected officials nationwide about the stakes involved to both patients and the continued viability of intra-facility quality improvement programs.

In announcing the Coalition to Protect Senior Care, and in thanking several members of Congress who attended today's event, Lisa Cantrell, a co-founder of the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA), stated, "Based upon our collective clinical experience, we have a deep, growing concern that the implementation of Medicare cuts will endanger the quality of care and quality of life of America's most vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries. Consequently, there is no legitimate way to justify implementing cuts that would severely undermine the essential efforts of direct care staff responsible for the vast majority of the nation's three million Medicare beneficiaries."

The Coalition to Protect Senior Care consists of the American Association for Long Term Care Nursing (AALTCN); the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA); the American Health Care Association (AHCA); the American Health Quality Association (AHQA); the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); the American Society of Health Care Administration Executives (ASHCAE); ASHCAE state affiliate members representing Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas and Utah; the National Assoc
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