State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst toured the skilled nursing facility at Brenham Rest Home on Tuesday to discuss Medicaid funding and other issues facing health care.

The Republican from Brenham said the visit was one of several she plans to make to nursing homes in each county she represents before the next legislative session begins in January.

"I'm certain that we have to get to a level of care we can all feel comfortable with," Kolkhorst said. "Medicaid has been hit hard since 2003 with budget cuts, so we've been digging our way out of that hole. But we still are potentially underfunding this area for nursing homes and direct care for our elderly."

Brenham nursing home caregivers told Kolkhorst on Tuesday about challenges facing long-term care and their impact on patients and caregivers. For instance, the per-patient payout in Texas is $106.59, compared with $153.83 nationally.

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