Contact Representatives To Assist in Nursing Home Crisis

Dear Editor

As most of you know Hi-Line Retirement Center in Malta closed early last fall, partly because Medicaid did not reimburse the facility the cost for skilled long term care per resident per day that it costs. At least ten others in the state have closed, with several others just barely staying open unless the state can increase the amount of reimbursement, those will close.

Daryl Toews, former state senator from Lustre, Mt. wrote a letter to the Phillips County News the end of August concerning this issue. I wrote to him and he called to discuss what could be done. He said we could contact some legislators when they convened in January.

Daryl sent an e-mail with a list of legislators we could contact. Daryl who is on the board of Valley View Nursing Home in Glasgow, along with Wes Thompson, administrator of Valley View Home and others met last week with a committee who will meet with the Health and Human Services appropriations subcommittee. It would be helpful to send e-mails or letters expressing concern for this nursing home crisis in our state.

Every family has a loved one or friend who is or will be affected by a shortage of skilled care beds. The elderly have worked and paid taxes all of their lives. Many have saved thousands of dollars to take care of themselves in old age, but with inflation that does not last for those living to be eighty or more years old. What else can they do but apply for Medicaid and will a facility accept them? The closures are stressful for the residents who have lived their whole lives in the area to move and for their families to travel long distances to visit. Financially the closure of the nursing homes affects every business in the town.

Thank you in advance for contacting the following legislators to encourage them to vote to increase the reimbursement of Medicaid assistance for skilled care to nursing homes. There are six people on this committee. 

Email: [email protected]  Representative

Email: [email protected].  Representative

Email: [email protected]  Representative

Email: [email protected].  Representative

Email: [email protected].  Senator

Email: [email protected].  Senator

Senator XXXX

Montana Senate

PO Box 200500

Helena, MT 59620-0500

Representative XXXX

Montana House of Representatives

PO Box 200400

Helena, MT 59620

Norma Kelly

Malta, Mont.