Others, when their assets are gone, will go to nursing homes, which charge 40 percent more on average but accept government reimbursement.

Her group issued a statement yesterday saying that the raise the union wants could be achieved only through higher government reimbursements.

They note that increases in their Government reimbursements have slowed to 2 percent a year, below the rate of health care inflation.

Northwest lost $160 million in the second quarter, before one-time government reimbursements for security fees.

Private plans are worried about the uncertainty of government reimbursement, and they believe the senior market is not lucrative.

Hospitals that are paid less under managed care and reduced government reimbursement will try to cut labor costs, their largest expense, he said.

Haven officials said they supported the mayor because he supports higher government reimbursements for nursing home care.

He passed the 10% threshold, thus becoming eligible for partial government reimbursement of campaign expenditures.

The commission's seal of approval is important to hospitals because government reimbursements can be harder to get without it.

Some Medicare patients are denied services for which the Government reimbursement is so low that hospitals lose money.