Study Warns Medicaid Cuts Could Force Closure of 37 Georgia Nursing Homes
ATLANTA, GA — A new study from Brown University’s School of Public Health warns that 37 nursing homes across Georgia are at risk of closure following massive cuts to Medicaid enacted under a new federal budget bill backed by President Donald Trump. The findings have raised alarms among public health officials and lawmakers who say Georgia’s most vulnerable residents could soon lose access to long-term care.
$1 Trillion in Cuts Over 10 Years
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reports the budget bill — recently passed by a Republican-controlled Congress without a single Democratic vote — will slash $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade. That loss in funding could devastate Georgia’s eldercare system, which is already operating under strain.
“This is a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of Georgia seniors,” said Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) on Wednesday. “Georgia nursing homes are already struggling. … This law is going to deepen those challenges.”
How the Study Identified Facilities at Risk
The study found 579 nursing homes nationwide are vulnerable to closure, based on two main risk factors:
- Facilities where 85% or more of patients are covered by Medicaid
- Facilities with occupancy rates below 80%
In Georgia, at least 30 counties have facilities that met those criteria. Counties with two nursing homes listed as “at risk” include:
- Baldwin
- Bibb
- Fulton
- Hancock
- Muscogee
- Tattnall
- Wilcox
The study concluded that such Medicaid cuts would shift the burden to state governments, forcing them to make difficult choices about what services to preserve.
“Significant cuts in Medicaid will force states to make decisions about which ‘optional’ Medicaid services they will continue to fund,” the report states.
Although nursing home care is technically a mandatory benefit under Medicaid, the funding shortfall could force states to tighten eligibility requirements, effectively reducing access.
Push to Reverse Cuts Gains Momentum
Democratic lawmakers — and a small number of Republicans — are now calling for revisions to the budget later this year in hopes of reversing or softening the Medicaid reductions.
“(Republicans) need to work with us to save nursing homes and hospitals across the country,” said Sen. Ossoff. “We must undo the damage that’s already been done.”
The issue comes at a time when many Georgia nursing homes are still recovering from pandemic-era staffing shortages and financial strain.
More information is available via Bryan County News.
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