Marathon County asking state to restore money for nursing homes

Corrected: The opening paragraph of this story was updated to reflect a state budget surplus, not a deficit.

State leaders are facing a potential budget surplus following the 2022-2023 biennium state budget process. But county leaders are wondering if some of that money can be used to make up for cuts to funding they used to receive to help run the county’s nursing homes. 

Marathon County could join several other counties statewide asking the state to restore millions in funding for nursing homes. The cuts left North Central Health Care roughly $3.5 million short between Mount View Care Center in Marathon County and Pine Crest Nursing Home in Lincoln County. 

The county’s contract with NCHC to run the nursing homes states that the county needs to make up any shortfalls NCHC might incur from running the nursing homes, says Marathon County Administrator Lance Leonhard.

The Department without warning cut the amount of supplemental payment and excess CPE award funding provided to counties to run their nursing homes, which they are mandated to do by the state, according to the resolution. Because of the lack of advanced warning, counties already had budgeted for the usual amount of funding. 

The county’s Health and Human Services Committee approved the resolution, which will make its way to the county board.