In comments to the Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes addressing the coronavirus pandemic, submitted July 17, the Center for Medicare Advocacy (Center) calls for a national solution to the national coronavirus crisis. The Center asks for immediate reinstatement of resident protections that the Administration has unilaterally waived during the pandemic, including residents’ rights, nurse aide training rules, and comprehensive surveys and enforcement, as well as new COVID-based protections, including weekly testing of all residents and staff and establishment of COVID-only facilities meeting national standards.
For the longer term, the Center makes four broad recommendations: (1) strengthening staffing, to include registered nurses around the clock and federal requirements that direct care workers receive a living wage and paid sick leave; (2) strengthening the survey and enforcement systems, to include corporate-wide enforcement; (3) meaningful standards for state licensure and federal certification of nursing facilities; and (4) better accountability for reimbursement, including audits and medical loss ratios.
- To read the full statement, go to: https://medicareadvocacy.org/recommendations-of-the-center-for-medicare-advocacy-to-the-commission-on-safety-and-quality-in-nursing-homes/