WA Senior Homes Asking Where Federal Medicaid Money Went?

A number of sources, including GOP Governor Candidate Loren Culp, have questioned where millions in Federal CARES Act money went, given to states to help with COVID issues.

In question is funding through the Medicaid Matching Program, which the Feds increased by 6.2 percent.  According to reports, it should have averaged around an additional $29 at least for every eligible senior living-assisted care-nursing home patient in WA state.  However, reports indicate such providers have only gotten about $5 or less per patient.  Loren Culp raised this question during the Oct. 7 debate, but Inslee did not address it nor did the debate panel.

The Medicaid Match was intended to help states deal with the COVID crisis for senior and other such medical care.

Around the same time that reports began to surface about the state being accused of withholding these funds, Gov. Inslee announced in mid August the creation of a new fund to allocate some $41 million dollars for illegal immigrant farm and ag workers. Because they're not eligible for the Federal stimulus or relief checks due to their status, Inslee said this would be used in it's place.

An Inslee spokesman had said the money came from CARES funding that was NOT tied to any immigration status requirements. According to other media reports, the only attribution about the money was that was allocated to states to help them deal with the COVID crisis.

Now, many critics, some media outlets and Candidate Culp are starting to try to put 2 and 2 together, and demand an accounting for exactly where this $41 million came from. Was it indeed some of the Medicaid Match Funding that was supposed to go to senior-nursing-assisted care?  When confronted with allegedly withholding the funds, some officials said it was in response to trying to tighten up the state budget.

We will continue to monitor and see what we can find out.

To see one of the reports accusing the state of holding back, click on the button below.