Senators Compliment CMS on Nursing Website but Push
Bi-Partisan Bill for More Info
Democrat Kohl, Republican Grassley push bill to
expand transparency
April 28, 2008 – Two U.S. Senators from different
parties came together last Friday to compliment the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services for increasing the information available on their
Website, Nursing Home Compare, but they say the agency has a ways to go
to achieve the transparency and information for consumers called for in
the Senate bill they have crafted.
Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
complimented CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems for identifying on the
site the most troubled nursing homes. They have been designated as
Special Focus Facilities (SFF) by CMS.
Kohl and Grassley said that CMS still has a long
way to go to meet the demands called for in their bipartisan bill, the
Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act (S. 2641), which would
require
Nursing Home Compare to display accurate, timely information in a
format that can be easily understood by consumers across the country.
“Americans should have access to as much
information about a nursing home as possible," said Kohl.
"We appreciate the improvements CMS is making, but
in order for this information to make a difference, it has got to be
timely, accurate, and perfectly clear to consumers who visit the Nursing
Home Compare website. There is more progress to be made.”
“The government already has this information.
Consumers should, too,” said Grassley.
"More transparency can lead to better quality
care. When consumers are empowered with accurate and up-to-date
information, their choices will put pressure on problem homes to make
improvements.”
The bipartisan legislation also would require CMS
to disclose the full list of SFF program participants, which are
considered to be among the worst quality nursing homes in the country.
At the urging of Grassley and Kohl,
Administrator Weems announced at an Aging Committee hearing last
November that the federal government would soon be releasing the list.
A
partial list was released later that month, and the
full list was released in February.
A news release by the senators says S. 2641 would
improve transparency by providing consumers with better access to
standardized, accurate information on how good the care is in nursing
homes, including the results of government inspections, the number of
direct care staff employed at a home, and information about a home’s
ownership.
The bill also aims to strengthen the government’s
system of enforcement for homes that are found to have serious quality
problems. Under current law, some nursing homes that fail to provide
consistently high-quality care can evade penalties year after year by
making temporary changes, only to slip out of compliance with federal
standards after inspectors leave.
Grassley is ranking member and former chairman of
the Committee on Finance, with jurisdiction over the federal health care
programs that pay for nursing home care, and former chairman of the
Special Committee on Aging.
Kohl is chairman of the Special Committee on Aging,
a standing committee that conducts oversight of issues related to the
health, safety, and financial well-being of older Americans. The
Grassley-Kohl bill is the product of their attention to nursing home
quality over recent months in their respective capacities.
The joint legislation has been endorsed by the
Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Senior Care Institute,
the Alzheimer’s Association, the Alzheimer’s Foundation, Consumers
Union, the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, AARP, the National
Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, and the National
Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR).
>> To read CMS press release regarding the
announcement,
click here.
>> To read the Wall Street Journal’s story on the
announcement,
click here.
Nursing Home Abuse, Medical Malpractice? Contact a lawyer.
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