{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-jill-tokuda-mary-peltola-and-ed-case-introduce-legislation-increase", "Reps. Jill Tokuda, Mary Peltola, and Ed Case Introduce Legislation to Increase Medicare Payments for Nursing Facilities", "2023-05-11", "2023", "2023-05", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Jill N. Tokuda", "T000487", "tokuda.house.gov", "tokuda", "https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases?PageNum_rs=10&", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.)\u2013 Today, Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) led Reps. Mary Sattler Peltola (AK-At Large) and Ed Case (HI-02) in announcing the introduction of legislation to ensure skilled nursing facilities in Hawai\u02bbi and Alaska receive fair reimbursements for the services they provide. The Equitable Payments for Nursing Facilities Act of 2023 would authorize a cost-of-living adjustment to the Medicare payment formula for skilled nursing facilities in Hawai\u02bbi and Alaska to account for the significantly higher cost to provide care in these areas.\n\nUnder current law, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has the authority to provide adjustments to payment amounts in consideration of the unique circumstances of hospitals located in Hawai\u2018i and Alaska \u2014 but this authority only applies to hospitals and inpatient psychiatric facilities, not skilled nursing facilities.\n\n\u201cSkilled nursing facilities are a critical part of Hawai\u2018i\u2019s health care system and especially important in our rural communities. They provide hospitalized patients with continued care following an accident, severe illness, or surgery. In addition to helping them regain their ability to do daily activities and tasks, our skilled nursing facilities are a life saver for families and caregivers that want to be sure their loved ones have a safe place to recover and heal,\u201d said Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02). \u201cThat is why we must make sure our skilled nursing facilities are adequately compensated, especially in high cost-of-living states like Hawai\u2019i, to ensure access to high-quality care and the best health outcomes for patients. My bill represents an important step in making that goal a reality.\u201d\n\n\u201cAlaska and Hawai\u02bbi have many wonderful things in common, but we also face some similar challenges,\u201d said Representative Peltola. \u201cOne challenger of our remote locations and dispersed populations is the high cost of living and delivering health care services. Skilled nursing facilities are an important part of our health care systems, providing a safe and stable environment for patients to recover following intensive medical treatment. We must provide appropriate compensation for these facilities and skilled health care workers that take care of our loved ones. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to support this bill.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor years, long-term care operations including skilled nursing facilities have struggled with staff shortages, low pay and the lack of patient beds across the country including Hawai\u2018i,\u201d said Rep. Ed Case (HI-01). \u201cWith the growing population of seniors in our islands, referred to as \u2018Silver Tsunami\u2019, this bill calls for adjustments to Medicare payment rates to relieve the financial strain of these facilities, and ensure that beds will be available for our kupuna on the waiting list for continuous health care in their golden years.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation, if passed, will make payments to Hawaii nursing facilities more equitable given the high cost of providing care in Hawaii. Skilled nursing facilities continue to provide care to an increasingly vulnerable and medically complex population, but struggle with rates that fail to take into account the costs of living and doing business in Hawai\u2018i. Hawaii\u2019s population is aging at a higher rate than that of the continental United States and the need for skilled nursing care is increasing. Skilled nursing facilities also face challenges with workforce retention and recruitment as they struggle to compete for workers with acute care facilities in a sector that has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d said Hilton Raethel, President and CEO of Healthcare Association of Hawai\u2018i.\n\nIf enacted, the Equitable Payments for Nursing Facilities Act would provide the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services the authority to make adjustments to Medicare payment rates for Skilled Nursing Facilities in Hawai\u2018i or Alaska.\n\nCompanion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Brian Schatz (D-HI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK).\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:55:44Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-jill-tokuda-mary-peltola-and-ed-case-introduce-legislation-increase"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2603229843080044, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}