More than 90% of U.S. nursing homes surveyed were
cited for violating federal care standards in each of the past three years, according
to a new government report. For-profit facilities, which are the most common
type of nursing home, had a higher percentage of violations, compared to other nursing
homes: about 94 percent of the for-profit homes surveyed generated a citation,
compared to 91 percent for government nursing homes and 88 percent for
non-profits, said the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human
Services.
The most common violations, cited for 28 to
36 percent of nursing homes, centered on quality of care, a category related to
lack of services necessary for residents’ mental and physical well-being, improper
storage and distribution of food (43 percent of homes were cited for problems
with dietary services), lack of the appropriate treatment to prevent and treat
pressure sores and urinary tract infections. Other common deficiencies included
housekeeping and maintenance problems, accident hazards.
The percentage of nursing homes surveyed
with deficiencies ranged from 76 percent in Rhode Island
to 100 percent in Alaska, the District of Columbia, Idaho
and Wyoming.
About 1.5 million people live in 16,000
nursing facilities in the U.S.
To be reimbursed by Medicare, which is a US government administered social
insurance program, which provides health care coverage for the poor and for people
over 65 years old, the nursing homes must be certified as meeting certain federal
requirements.
The homes are typically inspected annually
and must meet federal standards to participate in Medicaid and Medicare. Medicare
pays for the treatment received by the patient, who can go any hospital or
doctor that agrees to Medicare’s activity.
The findings of the government report were included
Monday in a memorandum to Kerry Weems, acting administrator for the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The report follows the analysis released by
Avalere Health LLC, a Washington, D.C., consulting
company that analyzed data from Medicare, which says that premiums the average
premium will reach $37 a month for all standalone drug plans, up from $30 in
2008. Data from Medicare, which is partly financed by payroll taxes imposed by
the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, shows that approximately $9 billion a
year are paid for durable medical equipment, such as oxygen tent, iron lungs,
hospital beds and wheelchairs. The costs supported by beneficiaries cover only
one-third of the Medicare’s cost, while the government pays for the rest.
Federal programs pay for more than two-thirds of their
residents, at a cost of more than $75 billion a year.
The federal government financially supports
the drug plans, which are offered by private insurance companies. These
companies will start advertising their plans at the beginning of October.
Kerry Weems, acting director of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
said beneficiaries should search the market for a plan that fits them in order
to avoid “significant premium increases or changes.” Medicare
participants can begin enrolling in drug coverage for next year from Nov. 15
through Dec. 31.