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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 03031987 - S.11 To^ BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ra 5 ', PROM: Supervisor Sunne Wright McPeak r`oS}a DATE: Introduced February 24 , 1987 for Action on l.lourty March 3 , 1987 SUBJECT: Loss of Nursing Home MediCal Beds SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) 3 BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION Request the .Department of Health Services in conjunction with the Board of Supervisors immediately meet with all nursing homes in Contra Costa County to discuss the shortage of MediCal beds and to negotiate a "fair share" commitment from each of the facilities . Such a major meeting should be set as soon as possible. Further, request the Department of Health Services to prepare a "fair share" proposal for the Board of Supervisors to submit to the nursing home industry asking for all facilities to continue to accept a certain percentage of MediCal patients. BACKGROUND The loss of nursing homes that will accept MediCal patients is causing a major catastrophe for the frail elderly in Contra Costa County. We cannot handle many more facilities refusing to take MediCal. We have a large crisis growing and need to find solutions . In the meantime, perhaps we can address the problem by negotiating with the nursing homes to accept their fair share of MediCal patients. Enclosed for your information is an interesting article describing the problem. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT; YES *IGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION Of COUI4TY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURES) ACTION OF BOARD ON March 3, 1.987 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER _ VOTE OF SUPERVISORS _X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT I I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: Health Services Director ATTESTED G/ U.;? County Administrator PW B&Ww .Bf.Dea d X10 bord of Swervism xW County ftnW ntu NIt��Itr.�s er D E P U T Y • . leo more fedi-Cal at .0 cess hospital .y� 10th CC nursing home to switch By Craig Jarvis The task of finding new homes Stat writer for most of the 148 elderly from the PLEASANT HILL—A convales- two hospitals fell to the county Om- cent hospital battered by a year of budsman's 'Office, run by Lois state fines and closed by a Novem- McKnight with help from two part- ber fire will reopen in mid-March to timers and 27 volunteers who look private-paying patients only. into complaints at the nursing Families with elderly relatives on homes. Medi-Cal feared that would happen. McKnight said Thursday that all Cypress Convalescent Hospital of the Cypress and Park Lane resi- becomes the 10th nursing home in dents have.been relocated, several Contra Costa County that won't ac- ` of them out of the county, which cept patients on state-subsidized makes visiting difficult for families. health care, reflecting a statewide McKnight and families of Cy- trend away from caring for those press patients feared the Pleasant who can't afford the$70 to$90 daily Hill home would stop taking Medi- rate. There are 34 skilled nursing Cal patients after the fire, and earli- homes in this county. er this month a spokeswoman for Nursing home owners lose mon- the company that owns Cypress ey when they accept Medi-Cal pa- said that was being considered. tients, since the state reimburses Spokeswoman Nancy Zandt said them an average of only $51 a day Wednesday that ARA Living Cen- for each person. Many smaller ters had decided to seek certifica- homes have been sold to large tion for Medicare but not Medi-Cal. chains, which often phase out the Medicare is federal health insurance Medi-Cal patients. for people 65 and older, and for the About 70 percent of nursing disabled. Recipients must be eligible home patients in California—and a for Social Security,from which their similar percentage of Contra Costa's Medicare payments are deducted. approximately 3,000.patients — are on the state payment program. An- Medi-Cal is a California program other 1,600 in the county are in that subsidizes health care for those board-and-care homes, which are who can't afford it. Medicare gener- for patients who don't need the spe- ally ods in bsidiz escees short homes.recvery peri- cialized care of a skilled nursing facility." ARA, the third-largest nursing Cypress had one of the largest home chain in the country, has also percentages of Medi-Cal patients in decided not to establish an Alz- the county, approximately 80 per- heimer's disease program at Cy- cent of its residents. press that it considered earlier. Cy- Families in Contra Costa have press should reopen with about 100 had to scramble for.new homes af- beds, Zandt .said, once the state ter Cypress closed and Park Lane gives final approval. Convalescent Hospital in Concord Zandt would not comment went out of the convalescent home Wednesday on why the company business last week. decided against accepting Medi-Cal In January, Park Lane gave its 49 patients. Earlier this month she told residents until March 14 to move the Times that the more than out because it had been sold to an $160,000 in state fines and losses of Oklahoma-based chain that will re- $100,000 in the fire caused the com- open it as a psychiatric treatment pany to reassess Cypress. center for juveniles and children. McKnight said she was disap- The home closed last week, howev- pointed with the Cypress decision, er, after all patients found some- and noted when she started her job where to go. 41/2 years ago that only one home in Since last May, the 105-bed Cy- the county was all-private. press has gone from 99 patients to Since it can cost about $30,000 a 43 on the night of the electrical fire, year to stay in private-pay nursing mostly because its Medicare and homes, McKnight wonders how Medi-Cal licenses were revoked for many families can afford it and how numerous violations, some of which many of the homes can survive in ` involved the deaths of two patients. that kind of market. I � s: