Related Experiment Videos
Long-term care under fire: a case for rational enforcement.
1Potter, Anderson & Corron, LLP, USA.
The Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy
|July 17, 2004
Summary
Despite federal reforms, a quarter of nursing homes nationwide still face serious deficiencies impacting resident safety. These issues persist, raising concerns about the effectiveness of regulatory oversight for Medicare and Medicaid standards.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health Policy
- Healthcare Quality Assurance
Background:
- Federal reforms aimed to improve nursing home compliance with quality standards.
- Despite these reforms, a significant portion of facilities continue to be cited for serious deficiencies.
- These deficiencies pose risks of actual harm or death to vulnerable residents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of federal reforms on nursing home compliance with quality standards.
- To assess the persistence of serious deficiencies despite regulatory changes.
- To examine the effectiveness of current regulatory approaches in ensuring resident safety.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of national nursing home citation data.
- Comparison of compliance rates before and after the July 1995 reforms.
- Evaluation of the application of regulatory tools by federal and state agencies.
Main Results:
- One-fourth of nursing homes nationwide continue to receive citations for deficiencies causing actual harm or posing risk of death/serious injury.
- This pattern of serious noncompliance has remained unchanged since the 1995 reforms.
- Current application of regulatory tools by states and HCFA has shown limited success in improving sustained compliance.
Conclusions:
- Federal reforms have not effectively reduced serious deficiencies in nursing homes.
- The application of regulatory strategies by states and HCFA needs re-evaluation.
- Persistent noncompliance raises significant concerns regarding the health and safety of nursing home residents.