Despite the excess of political partisanship in Washington, D.C., Maine’s state and federal lawmakers are serving as a national model for exhibiting the teamwork needed to help overturn pending federal Medicaid budget cuts which would jeopardize Maine seniors’ nursing home care. Such action would also turn back the clock on hard-won nursing home quality improvements accomplished over the past several years. We thank them for working together on a matter of great importance to our state’s most vulnerable frail, elderly and disabled citizens.

Gov. John Baldacci, Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, and U.S. Reps. Tom Allen and Michael Michaud are mounting a strong effort to help derail the Bush administration’s five-year, $12.2 billion Medicaid cut which, in Maine alone, would amount to a $60 million funding reduction, incurring a patient per day loss of $3.75. This cut would pose an enormous threat at the facility level – not just to staffing, but to the continued economic viability of facilities throughout our state, and ultimately the quality care they provide.

The governor and our four federal lawmakers have recently sent separate letters to United States Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Mike Leavitt detailing how and why the pending Medicaid cuts are harmful to seniors. Maine, like many other states, utilizes revenue from state income and sales taxes to fund our seniors’ key Medicaid benefits.

Current federal rules allow states to implement up to a 6 percent “quality assessment” on nursing homes to raise revenue to help pay the state share of Medicaid. Although not the preferred way to fund long term care, Maine has come to depend on the revenues generated via the maximum rate of 6 percent. The administration’s plan would limit the assessment to just 3 percent – a 50 percent cut.

Beyond the obvious negative consequences to residents and facilities from the cut, the public policy arguments against implementation are many. Gov. Baldacci has correctly pointed out the Medicaid cut simply dumps new costs on states – and ultimately on the backs of state taxpayers. Our congressional leaders, Sens. Snowe and Susan Collins and Reps. Allen and Michaud, make the reasonable point the cuts would go into effect without any congressional review or consideration. “The magnitude and scope of such proposals are such that input from Congress, states, health care providers and patient groups are essential in order to avoid serious, unintended consequences,” warns one of the letters.

When Congress returns to Washington after Labor Day, it is essential for all of us in the long-term care and patient-advocacy communities to ensure the governor, our senators and our House members receive continued, deserved help to ensure these ill-considered Medicaid cuts never go into effect. It is not surprising to see the bipartisan collegiality exhibited by Maine’s elected officials. We appreciate their unified front against an unwise health care policy proposal that directly threatens Maine’s most vulnerable seniors.

Richard Erb is president and CEO of the Maine Health Care Association in Augusta; Bruce Yarwood is president and CEO of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) in Washington, D.C.