A new national study released this week finds that the Minnesota Medicaid program underfunds nursing facility care by $151.6 million annually. Medicaid currently funds 58 percent of the care provided in Minnesota’s nursing facilities, making it the largest payer of nursing home care in the state.

Compiled by the research group Eljay — a nationally-recognized expert in long-term care — the report identifies which states are most affected by the rising pressure on state Medicaid budgets, both in terms of highest aggregate Medicaid underfunding and highest per patient per day underfunding. For the 5th consecutive year, this analysis has ranked Minnesota as one of the most underfunded states for nursing home care.

According to the Medicaid analysis, Minnesota ranks 7th nationally:

1. New York - $47.95
2. New Hampshire - $31.25
3. Massachusetts - $31.22
4. New Jersey - $29.29
5. Washington - $28.18
6. Wisconsin - $26.54
7. Minnesota - $24.70
8. Wyoming - $23.67
9. Delaware - $22.86
10. Illinois - $21.95

The report “A Report on Shortfalls in Medicaid Funding for Nursing Home Care” is funded by The American Health Care Association (AHCA), which engages Eljay, LLC to work with its state affiliates and other sources to compile information on the shortfall between Medicaid reimbursement and allowable Medicaid costs.

In the coming weeks, Care Providers of Minnesota will create a Minnesota-specific report for members to use in their advocacy efforts. However, if you would like immediate access to the full analysis from Eljay, click HERE.

Patti Cullen, CAE
952.851.2487
pcullen@careproviders.org