IG: Nursing homes not penalized for errors
KEVIN FREKING
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Nursing homes that jeopardize patients' safety or have long-standing problems often are not penalized by Medicare, a government watchdog reported Wednesday.

Medicare contracts should have been subject to termination at 55 nursing homes between 2000 and 2002, according to the inspector general for the Health and Human Services Department.

Yet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not end the contracts, as required, in 30 cases, the agency's internal watchdog said.

When investigators looked at follow-up surveys of the 30 nursing homes, they found that all of the homes had later problems that led states to refer the facilities for federal action.

Read the Complete Article here... Kansas City Star Article

Thank you for sharing this article Casey. One of the home aids that takes care of my father, works in a nursing home. She's constantly telling me that if he were in a nursing facility, he would be dead in a few months, that because he's so difficult to transfer and he needs to be hoisted with lifts, they would rather clean his sheets once a day and let him remain soiled then to transfer him. Bed sores would get him! She tells me she sees this all the time.

And what I've seen is horrific. Many times my father has been in nursing homes over these years and I would rather be dead than to have to live with the neglect I've witnessed. The last time my father was in a facility, all I did was fight with the staff. Such incredible, overt neglect. My blood is boiling just thinking about the treatment he received.

There aren't enough whistle blowers on this topic. Maybe someday when I'm not involved with the role I'm now in, I'll join in on this crusade.

Thanks again.

quote:

Originally posted by Casey:
IG: Nursing homes not penalized for errors
KEVIN FREKING
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Nursing homes that jeopardize patients' safety or have long-standing problems often are not penalized by Medicare, a government watchdog reported Wednesday.

Medicare contracts should have been subject to termination at 55 nursing homes between 2000 and 2002, according to the inspector general for the Health and Human Services Department.

Yet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not end the contracts, as required, in 30 cases, the agency's internal watchdog said.

When investigators looked at follow-up surveys of the 30 nursing homes, they found that all of the homes had later problems that led states to refer the facilities for federal action.

Read the Complete Article here... Kansas City Star Article

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SandyF,

Casey, this article is long over do.I belonged to a watch group that gave me much of the information.All of the people involved with these agencies are interested in selling , selling , selling.Midicare cannot get their ducks in a row when it comes to cheats, so why do we feel they can do anything else.Facilities, have many lobbyists with mucho money.That is what it is all about.