Bebo responds to Sue's editorial

Wednesday's newspaper The Leader printed Sue's letter previously posted on this blog. They edited out the sentence at the end of the third paragraph about retaliation. They also added a response from Laurie Bebo which follows:

(Laurie Bebo, president and CEO of Assisted Living Concepts Inc., responds: Although we cannot get into details about individual residents, we have documented monthly care conferences in which we have asked the state to find skilled nursing placement for several residents. The state has offered (through the case manager in attendance) to provide us with higher reimbursement, and our response has been that's not what we're asking for. The resident needs to move to a skilled nursing facility to have the additional oversight, care and medical assessments necessary to meet their needs in a quality way. This, of course, is more costly for the state than any reimbursement they are offering us. To end our Medicaid contract is anything but financially lucrative for Victoria House. We have simply put the care and safety of our residents and staff above the negative financial implications of ending the Medicaid contract. Although we are not interested in growing our Medicaid population, our plan was to reduce our Medicaid population through natural attrition. As people pass away, need to move to a higher level of care or simply move to a different community, we would slowly exit the Medicaid program. The state's unwillingness to see the appropriate placement needs of the residents has created this unfortunate situation.There is a process for discharging residents in the regulations, but the state has to agree. The state has not agreed to move out any one of our Medicaid residents all year. The proof in whether these residents are appropriate for assisted living is in the fact that several were denied for assisted living placement and will have to go to a skilled nursing facility when they leave Victoria House. Some residents will appropriately be placed in assisted living - these are the same residents we offered to take at one of our other houses if they didn't find placement nearby. The other residents that will have to move to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) need to recognize it is in their best interest to do so, as their needs are such that the SNF care environment will best accommodate them. Most residents have already been accepted in a nearby assisted living or skilled nursing facility of their choice. We are confident the last couple of residents can be placed in a skilled nursing facility as well. I agree with Ms. Estes that the Medicaid reimbursement rates are too low for assisted living. I look forward to further work being done in this area as well as in the area of appropriate placement.)

It becomes rather disheartening to deal with folks who always have an answer and it doesn't seem to matter if it is factual or accurate.