•     Nursing facilities and counties have long been helpful partners in financing the State’s long term care system. The nursing facility and ICF-MR provider assessment (tax) generates $39.2 million, saving the State $16.6 million GPR annually. The current IGT program funds nearly $73 million of Medicaid costs. According the the Legislative Audit Bureau, nursing facility GPR expenditures actually have declined in recent years and the Legislative Fiscal Bureau figures show that nursing facility all funds expenditures increased by only 0.8% from 1996 to 2000.