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Long Term Care Association suppors 'provider assessments' -- but with changes

The president of the North Dakota Long-Term Care association said as a concept, nursing homes support the idea of a provider assessment.

But Shelly Peterson said her group will likely have some amendments to it.

Former Gov. Jack Dalrymple proposed it in his executive budget, to meet some of the increased costs.  He said 44 other states have used that funding tool.

Peterson said the concept is not new to North Dakota – she said in 2003, the Legislature imposed a fee on intermediate care facilities for individuals with mental retardation – but this is the first time for nursing homes.

"It's a unique way to access additional federal funds," Peterson said in an interview. "By putting that cost in, it becomes a reimbursable item."

Peterson said the current tight revenue situation in North Dakota makes it an attractive option to deep allotment cuts that were to have taken effect January first.

"Right now, every nursing facility is facing a deep cut," Peterson said. "And as we look at the impact to resident care and services, it will be significant if we can't get that money back."

Peterson said the money mostly goes toward caregiver and staff salaries and benefits, as well as facility costs.

"Those allotment cuts are significant," Peterson said.

But Peterson said the way the bill is written, money from the assessment would also cover some other “stuff.”

"And it's that other 'stuff' that is not directly related to nursing home care that we think would be unfair and unjust to have nursing home residents pay," Peterson said. She said if those extras are removed, the provider assessment could be lowered.

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