Carter Wrenn posted on July 02, 2009 14:40
Back in February of 2007 Senator Doug Berger wrote his constituents about North Carolina’s home care program: “Most seniors prefer to live in their own homes and receive services rather than be placed in an assisted living program outside their home. The greater number of seniors who can be cared for in their own homes as compared to going into an assisted living program will save Medicaid dollars in the long run…”
Senator Berger was stating the obvious: It’s, naturally, a lot less expensive to care for Medicaid patients in their own homes than to provide care 24/7 in a nursing home.
Flash forward to April of 2009: Senator Berger, in his Senate Appropriations Health Care Committee, cuts home care 60% to save money – meaning to continue to receive care 20,000 elderly or disabled patients will have to go into a Nursing Home or Rest Home.
Home Care costs an average of $9,000 per patient. Rest Home care costs $21,000. And Nursing Home care costs $48,000. So Senator Berger’s ‘cut’ ends up costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
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