SPOKANE, Wash. — Local caregivers are worried about potential Medicaid cuts and the impact it would have on their jobs and the people they care for. Experts believe that significant reductions in the federal Medicaid budget could occur over the next several years. Congress and states, including Idaho, are considering changes to Medicaid eligibility and coverage as a cost-saving measure. Julie Sparkman, a home care aide in Spokane, said she is worried about how cuts could affect healthcare workers’ livelihood. “I can’t just tell my bank or my household payments or the grocery store, ‘this week is a little tight,'” Sparkman said. Sparkman also said that even if home care aides end up needing to switch jobs, the need for care will still be there.
“I can switch the industry I work in. You can’t really switch the industry that you work in when your mother is your client, so who is taking care of your mother when you’re at work,” she said.
Sparkman said home care aides are needed by people of all ages. She currently works with two children in her job. She said she worries because home care is often more affordable than nursing homes for seniors, and a reduction in the caregiver workforce could significantly increase the cost of elderly care.