Nursing Home Care Bill Introduced

United States Senator, Apr 10, 2008

WASHINGTON — Senators Chuck Grassley and Herb Kohl are introducing legislation to improve the quality of care in nursing homes with more and better information for consumers provided by the federal government on the Nursing Home Compare website, requirements for accurate reporting of the staff who are providing direct services in nursing homes, stiffer penalties for serious quality deficiencies, and greater accountability and transparency about who owns and operates nursing homes.

“Improving nursing home care requires constant vigilance,” Grassley said. “Some problems keep coming up. They need to be fixed so nursing home quality continues to improve and stay improved. More transparency, enforcement, and staff training are all needed. That’s what our bill addresses.”

“The federal government now spends $75 billion annually on nursing homes through Medicare and Medicaid, and spending is projected to rise as costs associated with the boomer generation increase,” Kohl said. “Congress has a responsibility to demand high quality services for residents and accountability from the nursing home industry in return for this huge investment of public resources.”

Grassley is ranking member and former chairman of the Committee on Finance, with jurisdiction over the federal health care programs that cover 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.

Supporting the bipartisan bill are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR).