SEIU Local 1199WI

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SEIU Nurse Alliance of Wisconsin
www.nursealliance.org

Medicaid Cuts are Cuts in Care
By Dian Palmer, RN, BSN

The Bush Administration’s plan to redesign and cut some aspects of Medicaid funding will seriously harm many Wisconsin residents. Early projections are that over the next ten years Wisconsin could lose $ 643,626,000. Under the President’s plan. As the nation’s principal source of health care coverage for low-income people, Medicaid covers thousands of senior citizens, people with disabilities, children and pregnant women in our state.

In addition the program supports work by filling in the gaps of employer-based health care plans that many low-income working families cannot afford. To deny these families Medicaid coverage is to push them into the ranks of the 486,000 Wisconsinites without health insurance.

Currently seniors and disabled people may receive home and community-based care as an alternative to more costly institutional care, but will cuts in these commitments force them into unsupervised environments or worse?

Recent public surveys demonstrate that a strong majority of Americans support expanded programs of health care that provide cost-effective, comprehensive benefits at an affordable price. I urge health care providers, recipients, advocates, and public officials to unite around initiatives that put families first in meeting their health care needs.

To deny needed services by implementing cuts in programs that are the lifeline for many families places an inordinate burden on economically struggling families. Our message to Congress and the President must be “ Oppose these health care cuts and invest in a healthier America.”

Share your Story! How have short staffing levels prevented you from practicing at your highest professional standard?

NURSING LEGISLATION WATCH
Read the Bills that Effect your Profession

     Ban on Mandatory Overtime for health care employees

     Pronouncement of Death by nursing home and hospice
        nurses

   Perscription Rights for Advanced practice nurses.

The Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives has authored an overview of the research which clarifies the relationship between nurse staffing and adverse events with patient care and/or nurses-as-employees. The framework of the summary is limited to 1998-2004, was conducted in the USA, and includes some measure of nurse staffing. However the SEIU Nurse Alliance draws different conclusions as we support federal and state regulation of staffing levels as the best strategy for insuring quality patient care and consumer protection from adverse events. You Can Read it Here!