Rose
BUFFALO — For CSEA members working at the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), potential cuts to Medicaid by the federal government are leading to much uncertainty.
“The big picture is that cuts to Medicaid are really going to harm everyone,” said Ebony Rose, a discharge planner and CSEA Erie County Medical Center section president. “It’s hard to tell what will happen. I think about the patients. I think about the staff and CSEA members.”
ECMC is a safety net hospital, which means patients cannot be denied care based on whether they have insurance and the hospital must treat everyone.
The hospital’s Care Management Department works closely with Social Services departments to help patients who come in without insurance bridge the gap financially.
CSEA members in ECMC’s Financial Counseling Department directly help incoming patients apply for Medicaid right on the spot, often right beside the patient’s bed.
Outpatients can also apply for Medicaid at ECMC without having to go through Social Services, provided they are receiving care at ECMC. The care they receive is then greatly discounted by the hospital’s Financial Assistance Program.
Cuts to Medicaid and other federal funding would impact all the patients at ECMC who rely on that money to receive the quality care that ECMC provides.
In addition to cutting into patients’ ability to receive care, the threat of layoffs is very real if the federal government cuts Medicaid.
“When you’re a public benefit corporation, there is only so much money,” said Rose. “We still won’t be able to turn away patients, even with staffing shortages due to potential layoffs. What does that do for the quality of care for the patient coming in? ECMC is known for its excellent care. What happens when these cuts are made?”
Rose said that she was grateful to be part of the hospital, whose leadership recognizes the value of the staff and overall treats them well, but said that when layoffs are on the table, they generally hit CSEA members first.
“It’s more likely layoffs would be made in the support services over direct care positions,” said Rose.
Medicaid cuts could cut into funding for the patients, which directly affects a number of the 1,500 CSEA members who work at ECMC.
In addition to the care received at ECMC, Rose noted how much recipients of Medicaid rely on the aid in many other settings.
“Medicaid long-term care plans help disabled and elderly people remain in their homes without the need for placement,” said Rose. “It helps patients get around the house, helps with the cleaning and provides outpatient services like physical and occupational therapy – all the things they can’t do for themselves. If that aid isn’t there, Grandma will be going into a nursing home, and the nursing homes are already overcrowded as it is. We try not to place patients in nursing homes if we can help it, but will the patients still get the care they need without Medicaid?”
In addition, Medicaid is the only insurance outside of traditional insurance that pays for long-term care. People who are released from the hospital but require care such as sub-acute services or long-term care and don’t have insurance rely on Medicaid.
Medicare will only pay for up to 100 days of sub-acute services and Medicare does not cover long-term care services at all.
“If cuts are made to Medicaid, all that may go away, and what happens to the patient who needs more than 100 days of care?” said Rose. “In addition, what will happen to all the patients that currently reside in nursing homes, and are reliant on Medicaid to pay their monthly bills? These cuts will not only effect ECMC, but organizations and patients across the country.”
CSEA members that work at ECMC are top-notch and they provide excellent care,” said Rose. “If Medicaid is cut, I don’t know what that will look like in the future. If the community is not worried about the workers, they should definitely be worried about the patients because they are going to suffer, also.”
— Mathew L. Cantore
