The high cost of caring for skilled nursing patients is squeezing finances at Upstate New York’s Heritage Ministries after it took in a majority of residents from the closing Lutheran Home and Rehabilitation Center of nearby Jamestown.
Now, low Medicaid reimbursements may force Heritage to shift away from prioritizing long-term care in its portfolio, according to Lisa Haglund, its president and CEO. While Heritage gained more than 40 residents after Lutheran Jamestown announced its closure in November, the costs of caring for residents on Medicaid only increased the financial burdens on the nonprofit organization’s skilled nursing facilities.