Reality Setting in: Nursing Homes Start to Shutter

In an article  titled, “Long-term care patients face move as hospital ends service,”Manuel Coppola of the Nogales International (268 W. View Point Dr. Nogales, AZ 85621) states that “Over the next three months, 26 long-term-care patients at Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital (HCH) will have to find somewhere else to go after a decision was made this week to discontinue the residential service effective Feb. 3, 2012.”

The article tragically reports that $500 million in statewide cuts to Arizona Medicaid make reopening the facility highly unlikely.

According to Dina Sanchez, HCH assistant administrator, “For several years, Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital was already subsidizing residential care at this long-term care facility to the tune of about $1 million per year.”

The article continues, “With $1.6 million in AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid) cuts to Holy Cross compounding the fiscal stress, something had to give.”

I believe this is the tip of the iceberg and that scenarios like this are going to begin playing out across the country. If you don’t already own long-term care insurance, it’s time to face up to the fact that the government won’t be able to pay for your long-term care.