A third of the beds at Seneca Nursing & Rehabilitation in Waterloo remain closed due to chronic staffing shortages and inadequate Medicaid funding, according to WHAM.
Facility leaders say state reimbursements only cover about 70% of care costs, forcing them to rely on private payers. Seneca operates at a loss but remains open thanks to support from its parent company. Across the Finger Lakes region, thousands of beds are similarly offline, straining hospitals and delaying care.
Lawmakers and care providers are pushing for a 20% funding boost, though experts say a 47% Medicaid increase is truly needed to reverse years of neglect and stabilize long-term care services.
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