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Amy Inaba
Rep. Young Supports Protection of Nursing Home Residents
Washington, D.C., Mar 10 -
“Nursing home residents often exhaust their personal assets to pay nursing home costs, and are forced to become dependent on Medicaid for payment. Kicking residents out of a facility because the nursing home has decided not to participate in the Medicaid program is wrong,” said Alaska Congressman Don Young.
When individuals enter a nursing home as “private-pay” patients, they use their own savings to cover the costs of long term care. Later, these individuals may exhaust their personal assets and become Medicaid-eligible. Some nursing home owners find private-pay patients more attractive as residents, because of the higher premiums these individuals can afford. In certain instances, nursing homes have attempted to evict the lower-paying patients who rely on Medicaid from their facilities.
“For many elderly, Medicaid is the only option for paying for nursing home facilities. Discharging these patients, who are our treasured family members is unjust and discriminatory,” said Rep. Young.
This legislation provides that nursing homes that choose to leave the program must provide “clear and conspicuous” notice to incoming residents that Medicaid payments are no longer accepted and that the facility may transfer residents who pay with private funds, but later become Medicaid-eligible.
Nursing home residents need protection against payment discrimination
- Alaska Congressman Don Young voted in support of H.R. 540, “The Nursing Home Resident Protection Amendments.” H.R. 540 prohibits nursing homes that decide to withdraw from the Medicaid program from evicting any current residents. It does not restrict a facility’s ability to withdraw from Medicaid or determine which residents are admitted in the future. The bill passed the House 398-12.