Capitol Hill gridlock clouds fate of famous Hollywood nursing home

Kindred Healthcare and The Motion Picture & Television Fund have nearly finalized a deal to keep the latter's famous nursing home open, but the plan is on hold due to political uncertainty in Congress.

Kindred agreed to spend $10 million to provide long-term acute care services, which would help the fund's long beleaguered nursing home. But the fund's board is hesitant to move forward with the deal until federal lawmakers decide whether to extend a moratorium on the building of long-term acute care facilities. The moratorium is part of a controversial plan to sustain current Medicare pay rates for physicians, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Officials close to the deal told the Times that an agreement was supposed to have been signed before the end of 2011. The MPTF says it intends to keep 40 nursing home beds available. Occupancy recently dipped below 30, less than one-fourth of the number it was three years ago before plans to close the facility were announced. Through the years, the famous facility has been affiliated with names such as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and other show business celebrities and key players.