Governor Wolf’s Budget Address Ignores the Existing and Ongoing Crises Facing Pennsylvania’s Long-Term Care Providers, Workers and Vulnerable Residents

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Harrisburg, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Health Care Association – a statewide advocacy organization for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents and their providers of care – has issued the following statement in response to Governor Tom Wolf’s budget proposal:

“Noticeably absent from the Governor’s budget address today was an acknowledgment of the existing and ongoing crises facing Pennsylvania’s long-term care providers, their frontline staff – our healthcare heroes – and the vulnerable residents they serve.

“We can no longer afford to ignore our most vulnerable population in nursing homes, which continues to be unequivocally and disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while the Governor’s vision didn’t focus on the challenges facing the long-term care community, we hope the legislature will.

“Federal stimulus dollars have been critically important, but it’s time for a long-term investment and not a short fix. An increase in Medicaid reimbursement can help deliver the meaningful change these providers so desperately need.

“Our message to the Governor and Pennsylvania’s General Assembly is simple: don’t give up on our vulnerable residents and our healthcare heroes in nursing homes. Don’t give up on Pennsylvania’s seniors who, one day soon, may need long-term care. Invest now in the state’s Medicaid program to provide a more sustainable future.”