First rural hospitals in Oklahoma began to falter and close. Now nursing homes are in grave danger, thanks to the state’s economic woes.
The state may cut Medicaid again, this time by 25%. If these cuts are approved, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority is anticipating that 93% of the state’s nursing homes could close. If that happens, thousands of Oklahoma’s elderly could have nowhere to go, reports KJRH.
"It's very scary,” said one nursing home executive. “You're talking about job cuts across the board in the tens of thousands and you're talking about a domino effect for the whole industry across the board." And things could get even worse: Medicaid might be slashed even more in 2017.