CLARK CO. HEALTH CARE CENTER LOOKING AT BOTTOM LINE
Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 -- 1:53 PM
One glimpse at the proposed 2011 Clark County budget shows the Clark County Health Care Center accounts for a big chunk of the tax levy.The CCHCC will rely on $2.1-million in local property taxes to make ends meet in the coming year. That?s up nearly $500,000 from the current year?s budget and represents the 2nd biggest tax levy of any department, behind the Sheriff?s Department?s $5.2-million.
Executive Director Jane Schmitz says their facility is facing the same types of problems facing other nursing homes: Medicaid simply isn?t covering the actual cost of care.
"When you take Medicaid individuals, you have a smaller reimbursement. but those are the individuals that need us, so it's kind of a double-edged sword," she explains.
CCHCC is licensed for 206 beds; about 180 beds are full, but experts predict an ?explosion? of need as baby-boomers continue to age.
"Right now, there's kind of a lull in the aging group, but they're expecting in five years, there's going to be an explosion of need for the elderly population," Schmitz says. "I think we need to be looking ahead and preparing for those people that are coming to our system."
They?re working with a consultant who is performing an analysis of their operation. That could lead to a change in the number of beds at the facility and the addition of different services that could increase revenue.
They?re also working on a plan to get more money from out-of-county residents. They represent about one-third of their patients, and they pay the same rates as residents from Clark County.
"Right now, we do business with about 17 other counties through the state of Wisconsin. We would set up contracts with them, to off-set the cost of people that live within their county. So that would reduce some of that tax levy," she explains.
While other counties around the state have gotten out of the county-run nursing home business, there hasn?t been a real serious County Board-level effort to do so in Clark County.
Schmitz says residents would still need care, and the county would likely end up paying one way or the another.
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