Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) reserved strong words for some nursing homes in her State of the State address and called for broader government powers to fine facilities and regulate licensing.
“I am saddened and infuriated that too many long-term care facilities are failing some of the most vulnerable with devastating effects,” Hobbs said during the address Monday. “Physical and mental abuse, neglect, exploitation, and poor quality of care have severely hurt, and in some tragic cases, led to the deaths of too many Arizonans.”
Hobbs said that state leaders should be “outraged” that the penalty for such elder abuse violations is only a $500 fine for the facility. She described a legislative package that would aim to broaden transparency and regulatory oversight, standardize inspections and increase monetary penalties for facilities with dangerous care deficiencies.
Arizona’s provider associations have been following the in-progress legislation closely and communicating with government leaders about potential regulation, confirmed David Voepel, CEO of the Arizona Health Care Association.
“Right now we are set statutorily at $500 per violation,” Voepel told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. “There’s legislation in the hopper based on the governor’s statements that would move it to $1,000 per violation.”
Voepel called Hobbs’ statements “an understandable call for regulatory measures” but cautioned that more severe punishment alone may not be the most effective way to fix problems with facilities’ care quality.
“There’s talk about expanding [fines] further to include $500 per patient, resident or bed,” Voepel explained Thursday. “As we’ve been discussing with government leaders, they can’t fine or penalize facilities into good behavior. It’ll cause them to go out of business first. We have a long way to go in our session, as this is only day four, so we’ll see how this gets negotiated out.”
Hobbs acknowledged the “many wonderful facilities [are] providing high-quality care for our fellow Arizonans” but doubled down on the necessity for more oversight powers.
“The individuals behind these scandals will be held accountable,” she said, “but it is also apparent we need to provide additional tools to go after bad actors who take advantage of those in need.”
