An October 12, 2022 statement from the City and County of San Francisco, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced a proposed settlement that would allow Laguna Honda to continue to receive Medicare and Medi-Cal payments while addressing needed quality improvements. According to the statement, CMS will extend Medicare and Medi-Cal payment for services at Laguna Honda through November 13, 2023 and extend the pause of resident transfers until at least February 2, 2023. The announcement is good news for facility residents because the settlement could head off closure of Laguna Honda and prevent dangerous transfers of residents. At least nine Laguna Honda residents have died since May following transfers to shelters and other facilities after CMS ordered Laguna Honda to plan for closure and to transfer residents. David Chiu, the San Francisco City Attorney, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the settlement includes a new dispute resolution process to avoid the kind of crisis that Laguna Honda and regulators landed in this year.
(posted October 19, 2022)