The current state of public policy for nursing homes could result in additional closures and continued shortfalls in Medicaid payments, providers warned in a lengthy letter to lawmakers.
LeadingAge disclosed on Thursday that it recently submitted a letter addressing nursing home policies to the Senate Finance Committee Chair Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). Grassley is reportedly preparing to unveil legislation on nursing home oversight before the end of the year.
“We have reached a confluence of public policies that threatens the survival of these important providers, truly the ‘safety net’ for people who need long-term care,” Katie Smith Sloan, LeadingAge president and CEO, said in the letter. “A radical change in direction is essential if nursing homes are to be able to carry out their mission of competent and compassionate care for a rapidly aging population.”
The organization called on the federal government to use a “collaborative, learning-oriented approach to oversight between regulatory agencies and providers.”
The group called for a re-examination of the federal-state nursing home regulatory system. It also suggested that the Government Accountability Office examine state and federal payment issues and make recommendations on better federal oversight of reimbursement rates to enable nursing homes to meet the actual costs of care.
Other LeadingAge recommendations in the letter included: reducing penalties for self-reported deficiencies, reserving punishment for nursing homes that consistently fail to achieve minimum standards of care, more focus on the qualifications and expertise of surveyors, and allowing states to target oversight resources to nursing homes that need it most.
“LeadingAge does not apologize for or defend bad care. We believe that nursing homes provide essential care to older adults. Numerous factors, from increasing longevity and changes in family dynamics to geographic mobility, contribute to an important reality: a good nursing home is often the best place for people to receive the care and services they need,” LeadingAge said in a statement.
“The continued health and survival of nursing homes should concern us all. Their health is precarious. Without a public policy turnaround, nursing homes will no longer be able to provide a safety net for hundreds of thousands of older people and their families.”
