During Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2009, the Charity Care Fund at CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa provided more than $998,000 in financial assistance to Villa residents who were unable to pay the total cost of their care or needed support to purchase such items as clothing, medication, eye glasses and other necessities. The amount given each year has steadily increased and projections indicate that this trend will continue in the coming years.
The Charity Care Fund at CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa provides support to two groups of individuals. Some of the people in the first group have incomes/resources that are too high to qualify for the State Medicaid program, but do not have enough resources to pay for all of their care and other necessities such as medication and clothing. Also included in this group are individuals in Assisted Living and the Apartments. Medicaid will not provide financial assistance to these people, even though it would be less expensive to help them stay in those areas than it is to provide services in the traditional nursing home setting.
The second group of individuals participates in the State Medicaid program. This past year, CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa subsidized the Medicaid residents over $14.00 per resident per day (over $30,000 each month). Why do CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa’s costs exceed the reimbursement?
The Charity Care Fund at CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa provides support to two groups of individuals. Some of the people in the first group have incomes/resources that are too high to qualify for the State Medicaid program, but do not have enough resources to pay for all of their care and other necessities such as medication and clothing. Also included in this group are individuals in Assisted Living and the Apartments. Medicaid will not provide financial assistance to these people, even though it would be less expensive to help them stay in those areas than it is to provide services in the traditional nursing home setting.
The second group of individuals participates in the State Medicaid program. This past year, CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa subsidized the Medicaid residents over $14.00 per resident per day (over $30,000 each month). Why do CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa’s costs exceed the reimbursement?
- Dentures - Medicaid pays for 1 set only per resident
- Glasses - Medicaid pays for 1 set only per resident
- Hearing Aids - Medicaid pays for 1 set only per resident
- Pastoral Care - Priest, Sisters and the Chapel, Medicaid does not pay for these services
- Social Workers - For a facility the size of CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa, Medicaid requires and pays for one Social Worker, CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa has four Social Workers
- Special Care (Alzheimer) Program - The CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa program includes a higher staffing ratio and additional space for residents than is required by Medicaid
- Registered Nurses - CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa provides more Registered Nurses than is required or paid for by Medicaid
- Remodel and New Buildings - Medicaid does not increase reimbursement for improvements to the buildings or new construction
While these services do cost more to provide, we believe that they are an important part of giving all of our residents the best quality of care.
Click here to make a donation to the Charity Care Fund.
