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Legislators make change to snag $20 million in federal money for nursing homes

SDPB
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SDPB

Lawmakers are readjusting how they’re spending $10 million to take advantage of a two-to-one federal match.

Lawmakers initially wanted to target that $10 million to nursing homes that take on more Medicaid-eligible residents.

Instead, they’re appropriating the $10 million evenly to nursing homes. That will bring in $20 million in federal funding.

Republican state Sen. Jean Hunhoff says the money is a significant payment to nursing homes.

“What that will do is put 30 million out there that will go directly to long-term care facilities that have Medicaid beds,” Hunhoff says. “It will increase their rate from July 1 of 2021 to June 30, 2022, by 20.3 percent.”

Hunhoff says each nursing home will receive roughly $300,000. That number depends on how many Medicaid beds each home has.

Nursing homes can spend the one-time money how they see fit.

Lee Strubinger is SDPB’s Rapid City-based news and political reporter. A former reporter for Fort Lupton Press (CO) and Colorado Public Radio, Lee holds a master’s in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield.