Coronovirus hasn’t hit residents at Wauneta Care and Therapy Center, but it could hit the facility’s pocketbook.
    “The thing I’m concerned about is income tax from people that are not working, which won’t be sent to the state,” WCTC Administrator Lisa Kisinger said. And if the state ends up short on income tax revenue, “Medicaid [reimbursement] rates will probably be cut.”
    As it is, WCTC loses $30 a day for every resident who’s on Medicaid. Currently, 13 residents, nearly half, are on Medicaid. The amount of reimbursement the facility receives for each Medicaid resident depends on the level of care provided.
    It’s impossible to say how much any Medicaid cut would be, and Kisinger is still hopeful it won’t happen, but “we’re already struggling anyway.” Because residents are having to spend more time in their rooms, and thus require more individual attention, the center has had to add hours for employees.
    There has been some good news for the center recently. After a couple of months of low resident censuses, as of last week there are 30 residents — the facility’s break-even point.

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