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News & Notes Archive

August 2014

Posted onAuthorKiara Lopez

In this Issue

In This Issue

For the Department of Social Services, The More Things Change…

August 14th was a milestone day in the year-long effort to reform Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) in California. After months of grassroots energizing, amendments, and endless committee debate, the bulk of RCFE Reform Act bills faced their final committee votes. After the votes were taken and the dust had cleared, the bills aimed at the facilities had all moved forward. The bills aimed at better state oversight had all died. This was not a coincidence.
Read More…

Medi-Cal Recovery Reform on its way to Governor Brown’s Desk

SB 1124 (Hernandez) that would limit recovery to what is required by federal law; eliminate “optional” recovery; eliminate recovery from surviving spouses; and require the state to provide claims detail reports for free upon request from consumers, passed the Assembly and the Senate unanimously. This bill is on it’s way to the Governor’s desk and Governor Jerry Brown has until Sept. 30th to sign the bill into law or veto it.

Contact the Governor’s Office – Tell Him You Want This Bill Signed!

Governor Jerry Brown c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173

Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160

Nursing Home Citation Report 2013

Just published, a listing of Nursing Home Citations in California, arranged by county, with summaries & fines issued. In an effort to provide concise yet meaningful information about fines (“citations”) received by California’s ~1,235 nursing homes, CANHR has summarized the citations issued by the Licensing and Certification Division of the Department of Public Health to nursing homes in 2013.
Click here to see or download the report…

CANHR is Hiring a Long Term Care Advocate

The position is open until filled. Interviews will be scheduled as applications are received. To apply, submit a cover letter explaining your interest in the position, a resume, a writing sample and three professional references.
Click here for full job posting…
Forward resumes and cover letters to pauline@canhr.org

Related Articles

Medicare’s Flawed Rating System for Nursing Homes
A recent New York Times investigative report examined the Medicare five-star rating system for nursing homes, and concluded that it portrays many of them as much better than they really are and may mask serious and potentially dangerous deficiencies. The report identified major defects in the rating system, including over-reliance on self-reporting by nursing homes and failure to include negative information gathered from states.
Read the full article…
Read the related op-ed…

President Obama Issues Executive Order Prohibiting Pre-Dispute Arbitration Agreements
In another blow to mandatory arbitration, the President recently issued an executive order prohibiting pre-dispute arbitration agreements between employers and employees in federal contracts worth $1 million or more.  Arguing that employees deserve their “day in court,” the order is a clear rejection of the notion that pre-dispute arbitration is a fair system for resolving disagreements.  The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News both wrote that the White House’s action should be a springboard into ending mandatory arbitration in nursing home contracts.
Read the executive order here…

Federal Legislation Introduced Requiring a RN in Nursing Homes 24/7
CANHR is proud to support H.R. 5373, the Put a Registered Nurse in the Nursing Home Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky on July 31st. The bill would require all nursing homes receiving Medicare and/or Medicaid reimbursement to have a registered nurse (RN) on duty twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week. Under current California law, only facilities licensed for 100 or more beds are required to have a RN on duty 24/7. Under current federal law, nursing homes are merely required to have a RN eight hours per day regardless of facility size.
Click here for more information on the bill…

Center for Medicare Advocacy Sues to Fix Medicare Appeals Process
The Center for Medicare Advocacy filed a nationwide class action suit in the U.S. District Court in Connecticut based on excessively long delays in the appeal process.  Under the Medicare Act, administrative law judges have 90 days to issue a ruling on a disputed claim after a request for a hearing. As of July 2014, the current wait time for a decision averaged 489 days. “This lawsuit is necessary because of a broken Medicare appeals system. We’re suing to fix it for the Plaintiffs and the thousands of beneficiaries in similar circumstances who are struggling to pay health care bills, or going without needed care while stuck in bureaucratic limbo,” said Gill Deford, Director of Litigation for the Center for Medicare Advocacy.
Read More…

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon purchases to California Advocates For Nursing Home Reform whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know – same products, prices, and service. Support us by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.
Click here to visit Amazon Smile…