[Peace-discuss] Champaign County Nursing Home threatened: take action Tues, Aug 7th 6pm

[Danielle Chynoweth]

Support our elders!  Support workers!  Oppose privatization!

On Tuesday at 6pm, the Champaign County Board will consider a hurried
proposal to place two questions on November's ballot.  The first asks for a
tax increase to fund the nursing home.  The second for the authority to
close, lease, or sell the nursing home.

These resolutions amount to a kind of "voter extortion" that sounds like
this: Let us increase your taxes by 333% or we'll privatize the nursing
home. This is a false threat. The nursing home ran a profit last year and
has not needed to borrow funds for four years.  Since voters will be loath
to such a substantial tax increase during a recession, they will be more
likely to authorize a sale.

Privatization would mean fewer poor residents served and lower wages for
employees. The county takes more patients paying with Medicaid than the
private sector. The county pays a living wage to all employees, but the
private sector does not.

*Come support the nursing home and its employees:*
*Tuesday, August 7th at 6pm*
 County Board Committee of the Whole Meeting
1776 E. Washington, St., Urbana (park off of Lierman Ave - back of the
building)
Note: If it passes on Tuesday, the final vote will be at a special meeting
Tues, Aug 14th.

Background:


   - Voters May be Asked to Decide Nursing Home's Future (News Gazette,
   July 6, 2012)<http://www.news-gazette.com/news/living/2012-07-06/voters-may-be-asked-decide-nursing-homes-future.html>
   - Nursing Home Board Opposes Ballot
Questions<http://www.news-gazette.com/news/health/health-care/2012-07-09/nursing-home-board-opposes-ballot-questions.html>
(News
   Gazette, July 9, 2012)
   - Nursing Home Board
response<http://www.co.champaign.il.us/countybd/COW_ELUC_CF_HT/120807agendafull.pdf>(see
last link in PDF)

Financial Facts from the Nursing Home managers
report<http://www.co.champaign.il.us/COUNTYBD/NH/120709agendafull.pdf>
):

   - Cash is healthy: If the Nursing Home paid all its bills and collected
   everything owed, it would have 3.228 million in the bank.
   - Revenues have been steadily increasing for the past 12 months.
   - Medicaid payments have been on a steady 2-3 delay cycle, so although
   there is a wait, the state is coming through on payments regularly
   - The biggest financial challenges are recruiting more patients and
   ensuring there is a good mix of patients paying with Medicare, Medicaid,
   and private insurance.

Those supporting the referendum admit the nursing home is operating in the
black, but want the flexibility to sell if revenues drop.  The biggest
financial challenge the nursing home faces is recruitment. Putting these
referendum on the ballot will only make recruitment harder since it will
make the nursing home appear it is in a crisis that it is not.  Why would
county board members move to damage the nursing home's reputation at a time
when it is doing relatively well?

- Danielle Chynoweth
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