[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6349700,"mediaKeyId","2236661-c6197ff72203620940ba793ba8af0dc4","parentId",2236661,"title","Long-term care providers warn lawmakers of workforce shortages, low reimbursement and rising liability costs","audioSeconds",1201,"startMs",3599000,"endMs",4800000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2236661-c6197ff72203620940ba793ba8af0dc4&start=3599&end=4800","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2236661-c6197ff72203620940ba793ba8af0dc4/thumbnail_3599000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6349700/Georgia/Long-term-care-providers-warn-lawmakers-of-workforce-shortages-low-reimbursement-and-rising-liability-costs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349700-e40a938b6cce2676022fa6863cfd7269/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450605&Signature=ftAy7-~EJhF~ij5KAXnX0roh9SbDH-3r-9t6MRY2ofBxspFihQJYVQGY8bsOqBWnbz5BBfmBR-P-Vz2ziIuMriD1VTKX~6SJ9EufNP7xYacGap~ABtro6sg3uQKYPL71hNdknJ~kyIeL4RBNZ5VikgqwRLlOV~mJ~ywytXLx9YjMu7Qd3DwxVvugl18dknOnLZ~Tj9ThCQZl47rcoBids9MK-ZoLSQV25~qwwuI~0bL3J7LyPr9rkn7~MsLRGRfffPCz~HcmYqXRV0HcJXZ76BC1EvHehAuqK2CfyAnCdZuOW7V-At~RYHLHYciPS5strnmcYS9UY~3z5RDY7NRZxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgia State Legislature ","date","2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives of the Georgia Health Care Association (GHCA) and the Georgia Senior Living Association told the committee that workforce shortages, low Medicaid reimbursement and rising liability-insurance costs threaten access to long-term care services.

Seth Coker, vice president of government relations for the Georgia Health Care Association, said surveys show broad satisfaction among residents and families but stressed an ongoing workforce shortfall. Pam Clayton, GHCA vice president for quality advancement and regulatory affairs, said the industry lost roughly 5,300 caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and still needs about 1,200 to return to pre-pandemic staffing levels. \"Workforce certainly does continue to be one of our greatest challenges,\" Clayton said.

Coker told lawmakers Georgia’s nursing-home Medicaid reimbursement ranks near the bottom in the Southeast and cited a margin study that found a negative combined margin of $139,300,000 across 297 nursing facilities (a negative 5.4% margin). He said reimbursement timing and cost-report lags mean providers continue to face inflationary pressures.

GHCA witnesses also raised concerns about a pending federal CMS staffing mandate that would require higher RN and overall staffing levels. \"We are deeply concerned, should this continue to move forward, how will we be compliant and how will we confront that requirement,\" Clayton said, noting Georgia’s workforce constraints and the potential legal and budgetary implications of new federal staffing minimums.

Seth Daniels, director of government affairs for the Georgia Senior Living Association, said assisted living and personal care homes are largely private-pay and therefore not dependent on Medicaid, but they are nonetheless strained by staffing shortages and rising insurance premiums. Daniels cited industry data showing 96% of senior-living communities report staffing shortages and said insurance-market changes have produced large premium increases for operators.

Both associations asked lawmakers to continue engagement on workforce training, reimbursement timing, regulatory relief and liability concerns. GHCA offered to share its margin study and cost analysis with the committee; industry witnesses said they were working with the Department of Community Health on testing and other throughput measures to speed workforce development and licensure.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","02.05.25 Human Relations & Aging/State Planning & Community Affairs","oneSentenceSummary","Industry representatives told the committee workforce shortages, low Medicaid reimbursement and rising liability insurance are stressing long-term care providers across Georgia, and urged continued policy attention.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Georgia , Georgia","taxId",77688,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6349705,"Department of Community Health outlines Medicaid managed-care shift, PACE rollout and new state nurse-aide program",1282,1636000,2918000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2236661-c6197ff72203620940ba793ba8af0dc4&start=1636&end=2918","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2236661-c6197ff72203620940ba793ba8af0dc4/thumbnail_1636000.jpg","/articles/6349705/Georgia/Department-of-Community-Health-outlines-Medicaid-managed-care-shift-PACE-rollout-and-new-state-nurse-aide-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349705-c1d33895eddbae0225fc4fd056935802/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450605&Signature=nzbv9oNfrZt4RUcluEdvue9Uf2DsnB45tKVwsF5GKwlL1nHH7AMf3QsW-mcnMT7gtrFTrIB4p17L8yJBGWJDgBBA0nrPQheKh1TBOxNXSTKByu7ndAfTmgNdhuAqbu2PAm9hJRUC01oQU31L4XnK5A65ngL74tS63mfWvXJ9zNI928m7wdPSFa1-VAATTHFGjp3BazTjjf2P4e-sOJx9bkFYqSyTWWRTlYe95tX-pIOuGUUmy5x3jx1WjDZUy26qPQ~P330-aNyCYMfvJlKg8bVWjaY8LNdb~DNSh7BaSyQt7wS60d9lV6r56mbAu7yF3vC3HmjtL-WYhrjvmydtdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Community Health told the committee it is pursuing several initiatives aimed at expanding managed-care coverage, creating community-based alternatives to nursing homes and easing staffing shortages in assisted living and personal care homes.

Joe Hood, chief operating officer for the Department of Community Health, said an open procurement for care management organizations (CMOs) for Medicaid is ongoing and \"under appeal,\" noting that an initial intent to award has been followed by an appeal process. \"It may be a year or more for that to reach resolution,\" Hood said, adding that changes tied to new contracts will not occur until appeals and operational readiness are resolved.

Hood said the first population slated to shift from fee-for-service into managed care are people who qualify for Medicaid through Social Security (SSI). He said the department estimates that the appeal process and readiness could mean the optional shift of waiver and nursing-home populations would not occur for about three to four years. \"Let's just say it took 2 years then it takes another 2 years of contract before we would be there ... I would say between 3 and 4 years,\" Hood said.

The department also described plans to begin contracting for PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), a capitated Medicare program that provides a community-based center offering medical and supportive services. Hood said DCH has worked with actuaries and with Myers and Stauffer to develop an RFP and rate-setting approach; he said PACE already operates in more than 30 states and that the department hopes to release an initial RFP and select providers before the end of the fiscal year. \"We expect...we'll have the first of those out and in place and then that would be another alternative to nursing home care,\" Hood said.

Hood described initial plans for an early PACE rollout to include metropolitan Atlanta (multiple locations), Savannah, Columbus and Macon, and said the department anticipates six to seven centers in the first procurement round. He said centers typically require a sizable investment (roughly a 10,000-square-foot facility) and that operators generally need on the order of 250–300 participants to approach break-even; enrollment often grows over two years once centers open.

Hood also outlined proposed administrative changes to align licensure of behavioral-health and community-living programs with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). He said the transfer would shift surveyors and compliance specialists and the related budget to DBHDD to reduce duplicative oversight and to keep policy and licensure aligned with federal SAMHSA guidance.

On workforce and training, Hood described two '23 bills—House Bill 497 and Senate Bill 449—that change nurse aide reciprocity and provisional licensing for military medical personnel. He said the department is developing a state-level nurse aide and a state medication-aide program to serve assisted living and personal care homes (not nursing homes, which remain subject to federal CNA requirements). Hood said the department contracted with the University of Georgia to develop modular training curricula, training reciprocity and portable dementia training; the department is proposing that staff who pass a dementia-care competency exam would require four hours of facility-specific dementia training instead of the current 16 hours of specialized training. Hood said the new state programs would expand staffing options for state-licensed assisted living and personal care homes.

Committee members asked questions about timelines, the likely scope of population shifts into managed care, the PACE rollout and whether existing military medical training would be recognized under provisional reciprocity. Hood and staff said many details remain to be finalized in rules and RFPs; where timelines or numbers were unclear, officials described them as estimates. \"I really don't have a good feel for that to be honest...I just don't know number wise,\" Hood said about expected numbers of military medical personnel who would enter the state training pipeline.

Witnesses and lawmakers asked that the department share more transparent outcome measures for managed-care transitions; Hood said the department uses actuarial PMPM (per-member-per-month) rate development and utilization measures to evaluate success but that rate development and some operational details may be proprietary to CMOs.","Department officials told the committee an open procurement for care management organizations is under appeal, PACE centers are planned to offer a community alternative to nursing homes, and the department is developing a state-level nurse aide and medication-aide track for assisted living and personal care homes.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6349710,"House committee adopts rules after debate over quorum; motion to raise quorum to nine fails",153,5931000,6084000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2236661-c6197ff72203620940ba793ba8af0dc4&start=5931&end=6084","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2236661-c6197ff72203620940ba793ba8af0dc4/thumbnail_5931000.jpg","/articles/6349710/Georgia/House-committee-adopts-rules-after-debate-over-quorum-motion-to-raise-quorum-to-nine-fails","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349710-873c10d7fb2b76d37b6aaf36422c37b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450605&Signature=DV0SxhnCvOnvnOsHLr89jR6LKgk6CD2a2PxYlHqTsQUq6QlfdD2fi0ZOxafTUwc7jtNaW~Acpxg8pdOMwQjWVQOuRT7vjt5xhG8WvVJrKXKZ6ncZoOYBxsBazGminERNd8vlXT-Iq2U-nM7m4g3fVpNeXaEjRgEVOyRVsxymPIkdiVJUi~Yk9NiT7g3xE68t1ryWtuLXcGgBA3QQUoEimyheLVKX2Po7dkEgspGeTsm6PFwJS4fzEBjh1ZcYv8~vRArvV5IjY9f56W1h6j2O1Ahys91B9mPdn23wt9RaMRjK5r6JEJCQpCboAO9XoEhmvK9myY9yIeTLV9~0kI1RIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House committee adopted its procedural rules after a floor debate about quorum size, voting 8–3 to approve the package.

Representative Jan Jackson proposed raising the quorum requirement so that 50% of committee membership would be present for meetings, arguing that a larger quorum better represents constituents. \"It would be helpful, when we go back to our districts to be able to explain to our constituents that it was 50% of this committee, that made decisions on certain legislation versus 33%,\" Jackson said during debate.

Opponents including Vice Chair Patty Marie Stinson argued a lower quorum helps committees start and finish business when multiple committee meetings conflict on the legislative calendar. Stinson said lower thresholds avoid repeated delays and long waits to achieve a quorum.

After discussion and a roll call, the committee rejected Jackson’s motion to raise the quorum to nine and then voted 8–3 to adopt the rules as presented. The chair signaled that the committee will return with bills for consideration and thanked presenters and attendees.

The action affects how soon and under what membership threshold this committee may begin or recess meetings during the legislative session and was discussed by multiple members during the meeting.","The committee approved its rules after debate over quorum size. Representative Jan Jackson’s motion to raise the quorum to nine failed; the rules passed 8–3.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Long-term care providers warn lawmakers of workforce shortages, low reimbursement and rising liability costs

Department of Community Health outlines Medicaid managed-care shift, PACE rollout and new state nurse-aide program

House committee adopts rules after debate over quorum; motion to raise quorum to nine fails