WA Nursing Home Workers Rally for New "Q-A Fee"
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February 12, 2010
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Nursing home workers are voicing support for a new funding source for nursing homes in Washington. It's known as a Quality Assurance Fee, and it is already used in more than 30 other states.
Nick Federici, legislative director for Washington United for Quality Nursing Home Care, says the fee would be a way to dedicate more money to caring for older and disabled residents without having to charge them more.
"It's a fee that's actually paid by the nursing home organizations themselves. Those fees are then matched by the federal government, and that money comes back into Washington state to pay for nursing home care of low-income Medicaid patients across the state."
The bill would prohibit nursing home operators from raising their rates in order to pay the Quality Assurance Fees. Some operators are concerned the fees would give an unfair competitive advantage to nursing homes that have more low-income patients and, therefore, would receive more federal matching money. However, Federici's group estimates only two nursing homes in the state would pay more in fees than they would receive.
The fee would be calculated on a percentage of the home's profit, based on the number of beds it has and the number of Medicaid patients it cares for.
Donna Peake, a certified nurse's assistant in Vancouver, says such a dedicated funding source would be welcome. Cuts by her employer have meant fewer caregivers, and more frustration for staff and residents, she says.
"You've got to take shortcuts to meet the care; to try to get things done when you're working with that many residents. It's hard. It hurts me, because I know I'm better than that, but because we don't have the staff, I can't deliver the quality care that they need to have."
The House bill (HB 3021) to create the fee is sponsored by Representative Tami Green of Lakewood, a registered nurse who has worked in long-term care facilities. It has 23 co-sponsors. The Senate bill is SB 6751.