Court halts New York nursing home cuts for now

A state judge has put a halt to Medicaid cuts facing nursing homes across New York.

The judge’s decision Thursday puts a temporary injunction on Medicaid formula changes that nursing home advocates say would jeopardize $352 million in state and federal funding.

A Department of Health spokeswoman says it’s reviewing the decision. Health officials argue lawmakers approved the change in the budget.

But the judge says nursing homes have showed the cuts could cause irreparable harm. The judge also said it is likely nursing homes will win arguments that officials violated lawmakers’ instructions in the budget.

The budget said the Medicaid formula couldn’t change before June 30, when nursing home experts faced a deadline to weigh in. The lawsuit says the state “ignored” the workgroup’s warnings and moved forward with cuts.

https://www.modernhealthcare.com/medicaid/court-halts-new-york-nursing-home-cuts-now