ARKANSAS — Two Arkansas nursing homes and the federal government reached a deal to delay a rule that prohibits long-term care facilities from requiring residents to sign a binding arbitration agreement as a requirement for receiving care.
The Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, agreed to delay the enforcement of the rule for Northport Health Services and the NWA Nursing Center until Dec. 31, 2019.
The facilities agreed to the rule delay on the condition that more than 80 facilities or their parent companies, located in numerous states, be added as additional plaintiffs in the case.
The pact was filed in the Western District of Arkansas in September. The two sides filed a joint motion, which proposes a schedule for resolving the lawsuit.
In early September, the providers filed a lawsuit against the federal agencies over the amended arbitration rule. They asked the court to stay the Sept. 16 effective day but were denied and the rule went into effect.
From the October 2019 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
