The New York Times recently reported about the disturbing trend amongst nursing homes across the United Stated which are evicting residents once their higher-paying Medicare insurance coverage runs out. Instead of nursing homes permitting the residents to then remain and accept continuing payment from Medicaid, nursing homes have been evicting residents to give their beds to higher-paying Medicare residents. There is a longstanding saying about the nursing home industry that they put "profits over people".
There are approximately 1.4 million nursing home residents across the United States and evictions have become the highest ranking level of grievances brought to nursing home watchdog committees. Government regulators are reportedly stepping up efforts to enforce laws that protect the residents of the nation's tens of thousands of nursing homes. The regulators recently sent a memo to state nursing home officials and inspectors advising that discharges that appeared to violate the rules would be examined.
According to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, wrongful evictions are “of great concern” because they could be unsafe or traumatic for patients, uprooting them “from familiar settings” and moving them far from family and friends. Unfortunately, as previously reported, the Trump administration now seeks to take away the right of nursing home residents to sue for abuse, neglect and mistreatment. It has been stated that while federal laws protecting nursing residents are strong, the actual enforcement of such laws against poorly run nursing homes is weak.
Legal advocates for the protection of nursing home residents indicate that nursing homes pressure residents to leave when their Medicare coverage runs out. Nursing homes receive approximately $500 per day for nursing home residents on Medicare and $200 for those on Medicaid. Nursing home owners with hundreds of residents can make tens of millions of dollars in profits per year.
If you, a family member or a friend have been injured due to the neglect of others in a New York nursing home, call Leitner Varughese at (855) LV LAW NY (855-585-2969), or visit our website at http://www.lvlawny.com.
