Medicaid cuts could impact 37 Georgia nursing homes, study says
Multiple Georgia nursing homes in danger
Multiple Georgia nursing homes are in danger of being closed because of President Trump's budget bill that has been signed in law, according to a new study.
ATLANTA - A new study from Brown University’s School of Public Health warns that 37 nursing homes across Georgia are at risk of closing following cuts to the Medicaid program included in President Donald Trump’s recently signed budget bill.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Medicaid will be slashed by $1 trillion in the next 10 years.
What they're saying:
The report has prompted concern from Sen. Jon Ossoff, who says the cuts threaten critical care for Georgia’s elderly population. According to Ossoff, the timing is particularly alarming, as nearly 70% of seniors in Georgia nursing homes rely on Medicaid for coverage.
Five of the 37 at-risk nursing homes are located in the metro Atlanta area. They include:
- Arrowhead Health and Rehab in Clayton County
- PruittHealth in Cobb County
- Meadowbrook Health and Rehab in DeKalb County
- Healthcare at College Park in Fulton County
- Sadie G. Mays Health and Rehab Center in Fulton County
Georgia is in the list of top 5 states with most nursing homes at risk of closure.
Sen. Ossoff is urging federal leaders to reconsider the Medicaid cuts, warning that closures could displace thousands of vulnerable seniors and strain the state’s healthcare infrastructure.
Click here for full list.
In response to the reporting, Democratic state senator and candidate for governor Jason Esteves released the following statement:
"Donald Trump’s budget bill is playing politics with Georgia seniors’ lives, ripping away health care and raising costs on folks who deserve to age with dignity."I’m a caregiver for a mother with late-stage Alzheimer’s, so I know firsthand that our state doesn’t do enough for Georgia seniors and their families. It doesn’t have to be this way. In the State Senate, I’ve fought to bring down the cost of care for all of Georgia’s seniors — no matter their income or zip code — and provide financial relief for caretakers. As governor, I’ll continue working to improve Georgia’s senior care system and stand up to Trump’s dangerous attacks."
Response from Georgia Health Care Association
What they're saying:
The Georgia Health Care Association issued the following statement in response to reports about the study by Brown University:
As Georgia’s population ages, the need for nursing home and other long term care services has never been more essential. Medicaid helps many seniors and individuals with disabilities access this around-the-clock care, covering 70% of Georgia’s nursing home residents. While the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s provisions will have material implications including a ten-year moratorium on CMS enforcement of the minimum staffing rule for nursing facilities and deep Medicaid cuts, GHCA and its members will continue to advocate for the necessity of Medicaid while continuing to provide high-quality care. The recent study released from Brown University’s School of Public Health identifies several nursing centers at risk for closure, however, this is a very preliminary study and causes concern for residents, families, and caregivers unnecessarily. These centers – all Georgia centers – are continuing to operate, serving Georgia’s vulnerable citizens with quality care.
Study requested by Democrats
What we know:
The study was requested by Senate Democrats. It identifies 579 nursing homes across the nation at risk of closing. According to the letter below, the list is based on nursing homes where 85% or more of their patients receive Medicaid; nursing homes with current occupancy rates of less than 80%; and nursing homes with low quality ratings.
Expert opinion
What they're saying:
William Dow, professor of health policy and management at University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health and director of the Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging, has also weighed in on the possible impact of Medicaid cuts.
According to Dow, the newly signed budget law includes several provisions that could further affect health coverage and long-term care for older adults beyond the $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts.
One key concern is the loss of dual Medicaid coverage for some Medicare enrollees, which could make it more difficult for them to access and afford long-term care.
The law also blocks enforcement of a Biden-era rule mandating minimum staffing levels in nursing homes, halting planned quality improvements in these facilities. State budget pressures could lead to reductions in home- and community-based services that many seniors rely on.
Additionally, the bill’s massive tax cuts—expected to increase the national debt by $3 trillion over the next decade—could trigger automatic reductions in Medicare provider reimbursements unless Congress intervenes.
Dow also said that many of these changes won’t take effect for several years and many state and federal leaders still have time to reverse or mitigate the impacts through legislation, tax adjustments, or administrative actions.
White House responds
The other side:
The White House has said repeatedly that the Medicaid cuts will not affect the people it is meant for – pregnant women, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
It has also insisted that by strengthening the integrity of Medicaid by elimating waste, fraud and abuse, its resources can be refocused on providing better care for those whom the program was designed to serve. The White House also posted this rebuttal on its website along with other statements about the budget bill.
The White House also accused the Congressional Budget Office of being wildly inaccurate.