Board compromises at $15 rate increase for LTC

The Board of Trustees has agreed to an increase on the daily rate for Crook County Medical Service District’s long term care unit. The increase of $15 will take the overall total to $230 per day.

Though the total charged to residents still will not cover the actual cost per patient of running the facility, the board felt that a bigger price hike would be unfair to those who pay privately.

The original suggestion, brought forth by controller Alayna Marten during the board’s budget meeting last week, was for a $30 increase.

“The rates right now are pretty reasonable compared to other places, aren’t they?” questioned Trustee Connie Lindmier.

According to Marten, however, this is not the case: the LTC rate is “very, very low” in comparison to others in this area. The closest is Newcastle at $250 per day, Marten said, while Buffalo is at $290 and the cost is even higher in Gillette and Sheridan.

At $215, Crook County is by far the cheapest in northeast Wyoming. Marten explained that the increase would bring in $9000 per month across the 30 residents of the LTC, ten of which are currently paying privately rather than through Medicare.

“I don’t think we can increase it that much, that’s a lot of money for some of these people,” said Trustee Sandy Neiman.

Marten pointed out that, if a patient did choose to move to an alternative facility, they would be paying more than the $245 per day she had suggested.

“I think it’s a pretty reasonable increase and I always lobby that we want to do the best we can for the community and particular for the residents of our community that are then staying here,” said Trustee Mark Erickson, noting that no increases have been implemented in two years.

In that time, he pointed out that expenses have gone up – the cost of masks is four times what it used to be, while food is not getting cheaper.

Lindmier questioned whether it would be possible to introduce a discount for self-pay residents, but Erickson noted that a similar discussion has been held in the past regarding in-county residents versus out-of-county.

“The ruling was, no we couldn’t,” he said.

Neiman, however, felt that it would not be fair to bring the cost per day in line with other local facilities.

“I don’t want to be in competition with Weston County or Campbell County because 90% of them are all private rooms, and we don’t have that,” she said. “Because of that, we need to adjust.”

The board agreed that it would be reasonable to “split the difference”, as Erickson put it, and increase the rate $15 per day to a total of $230.

“I think the $15 is justified, considering we haven’t done it for two years, and considering the circumstance of the facility,” said Neiman.

Marten explained that it’s worth bearing in mind for the future that the actual cost to run the facility at this time is $254 per day per person, so the rate does not actually match the running expense. It will eventually be necessary to break even, she cautioned.

Multiple discussions have been held on decreasing these costs by, for example, replacing contract staff with full-time employees and getting rid of overtime, Marten continued. Unfortunately, no matter how many corners get cut, the cost of living will always increase.

The board agreed to include the $15 increase in the budget, which Erickson described as “very, very minimal” considering the time since a raise was last introduced.