Amid reports that President Obama's fiscal year 2013 budget will include sizable cuts to Medicare and Medicaid funding for nursing homes, the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) unveiled its own suggestions for the White House to consider on Wednesday.

AHCA/NCAL calls its plan a patient-centered blueprint that outlines specific funding increases in Medicaid while continuing current trends in Medicare funding for the long term and post-acute care programs.

“It’s budget season once again, and while our facility leaders and caregivers would prefer to focus on care over dollars, the simple fact is they need resources to deliver that care,” said Gov. Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive officer of AHCA/NCAL.

“There are clear linkages between the budget, the size of our workforce, quality within our facilities, and care at the bedside. We hope the president and Congress will consider rational funding levels as they weigh their own proposals in the coming weeks.”

The top-line recommendations from the trade association call for no changes in the Medicaid provider tax authority, $4.88 billion more in Medicaid funding for states based on previous annual shortfalls, and the exploration of new models of care in accordance with the Affordable Care Act's goal of finding savings in the system.

AHCA/NCAL noted that in 2011, long term and post-acute care facilities accounted for 3.1 million direct jobs and over 5 million indirect employees, making the sectors the 10thlargest employer in the United States.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal said the president's budget, which is to be released Feb. 13, will offer $3 trillion in deficit reductions over 10 years. The newspaper said the budget makes Medicare cuts worth about $248 billion and Medicaid cuts of roughly $72 billion.

The new Obama budget proposal includes higher premiums and deductibles for some beneficiaries and smaller payments to drug companies, hospitals, and nursing facilities.