How cutting Medicaid could upend long-term care for many older Americans.

The Republican Senate passed a big spending bill that will increase deficits for decades. Two things are admitted by Republicans who voted for the bill. First, it would cut taxes in a way that would only benefit the wealthiest Americans. Second, to recoup some of that lost revenue, it would cut health care programs, particularly Medicaid, and would leave nearly 12 million more Americans uninsured over 10 years. The reduction in Medicaid funding expected to decrease seniors’ ability to thrive and live in dignity.

“‘If these cuts happen in the way they may appear to happen at this moment, people are going to get sick and die,’” reported Jason Sullivan-Halpern, whose office handles nursing home residents’ complaints.

This statement was made in reference to the billions of dollars looking to be cut from Medicaid funding in Trump’s efforts to extend tax breaks for billionaires.

Medicaid is relied upon by around 2 in 3 nursing home residents, as the program pays about 82 cents for every dollar of nursing home costs. Without the financial support that most residents rely on Medicaid for, many residents will be forced to go without quality care. As Sullivan-Halpern says, “‘There is no plan B…there is really nothing for them to return to.’”

Such cuts are predicted to have drastic effects like a reduction or end in the reimbursement offered to some home or community-based caregivers or the total elimination of assisted-living coverage. Less Medicaid funding could lead to a change in the eligibility requirements that exist for residents to be eligible for funding, as well as cause nursing homes to receive significantly less reimbursement for the Medicaid residents they host.

Ultimately, cuts to Medicaid are expected to increase the amount and severity of crises that occur among seniors in need of care.

As Vincent Mor, professor of health services, policy and practice at the Brown University School of Public Health illustrated, “‘They’ll stay home as long as they can and then there’ll be an accident. They’ll go to the hospital and people will say, ‘We can’t have Mom go home alone…’’”

Moreover, nursing home residents would also be right to be concerned about the reduction in the quality of care they receive in a nursing home if this reduction in federal funding takes place. Nursing facilities would be expected to lose many nurses and aides while they’re already struggling with inadequate staffing due to low wages and very demanding work.

Cuts are also expected to exacerbate issues such as the growing closure of nursing facilities across the U.S. and a greater reduction in the time employees are able spend with each patient. Residents will find it nearly impossible to connect with or build a relationship with any staff member.

As Mor put it, ““There will be perhaps a few more falls, a few more bed sores. But what there’s going to be a lot more of is ‘failure to thrive.’”

Further overworking staff will also result in more dangerous mistakes being made, burnout experienced, and more employees quitting their positions completely.

While it’s already widely known that Medicaid is a necessity for many Americans, cuts to the program continue to be accepted in a time when it desperately requires more funding. Furthermore, Medicaid is a program created to help more economically disadvantaged citizens.

Thus, it tends to invest more heavily in lower-income communities. This also means that nursing facilities that rely more on Medicaid funding tend to have less resources and less quality care available to all residents in the home. Therefore, the general wealth of a community tends to indicate the quality of care that a community’s nursing home offers to everyone, regardless of their economic status or health condition.

It’s also worth mentioning the U.S.’s increasing reliance upon Medicaid as the populations grows and ages.

As Hannah Grabenstein from PBS noted, “by 2060, nearly a quarter of the U.S. population, or around 95 million Americans, will be 65 or older — including nearly all millennials.”

However, when addressing the issue of funding Medicaid, many suggest that an alternative, “more feasible,” program for seniors should be explored. This could include a plan designed to support Americans as they age to avoid or improve chronic conditions. Yet, in the current state of affairs, many Americans are expected to suffer from the upcoming cuts in Medicaid funding, which could ultimately result in further nurse exhaustion and burnout, and more vulnerable Americans developing serious injuries and dying.