Nursing Homes - When Fines Go Unpaid
Nursing homes are supposed to provide quality care for our loved ones. When quality care doesn't happen, facilities face possible fines on both the state and federal level. What people don't realize is that some nursing home fines remain uncollected for years after the fines are imposed.
Federally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid issued more than $5.3 million in fines to nursing home facilities in the past three years. To date, only approximately $500,000 has been collected.
The Department of Health and Human Services assessed $82 million in penalties against facilities for a two year period, yet less than $35 million has been collected.
On the state level, five Wisconsin nursing homes were assessed over $29,000 in fines. The homes did not appeal the fine assessements and the fines remain outstanding.
Wisconsin nursing homes were fined approximately $8.7 million and approximately $3 million remains uncollected. Some of the unpaid fines include penalties assessed to facilities that are no longer open.
Typically, nursing homes appeal the fines or attempt to reach a settlement figure. In the interim, the fines remain unpaid. Interestingly, if a nursing home agrees to accept the fine, the facility is granted a 35% reduction, even if the fines were incurred as the result of a wrongful death! Toby Edelman, a senior policy attorney with the Center for Medicare Advocacy, says that although fines are assessed, it is difficult to collect.
By not enforcing collection of penalities and fines, in essence, are we telling nursing home facilities that it is acceptable not to provide quality care for our loved ones?
To read more on this matter, go do Fines Sometimes Go Unpaid By Nursing Homes.
