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Half of All Nursing Homes in Massachusetts Are Understaffed
MassHealth collected $58 million in penalties over five years, but advocates say the fines are too small to force better care.
- At the end of last year, half of Massachusetts' 341 nursing homes failed to meet one or both of the state's minimum staffing standards, according to a New Bedford Light analysis of federal data.
- Five years ago, state health officials set minimum staffing levels to improve resident care, yet compliance remains uneven; nonprofits make up 26% of facilities but account for 44% of those meeting regulations.
- The Light's investigation found 64% of for-profit nursing homes were out of compliance with staffing minimums, compared to only 18% of nonprofits, while facilities must provide at least 3.58 HPPD of nursing care.
- MassHealth has collected $58 million in penalties over five years from understaffed facilities, though regulators recently replaced a flat 2% penalty with a sliding scale between 0.5% and 3%.
- Industry wages increased 40% over the past five years, yet critics argue evidence of profit extraction by owners refutes claims that more government funding is needed to improve staffing.
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Michigan AG sues nursing home company, alleging chronic understaffing
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has filed a civil lawsuit against a Michigan nursing home company alleging that it accepted more than $111 million in Medicaid reimbursements while failing to staff its facilities well enough to meet minimum standards of care required by law.
·Grand Rapids, United States
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Associated Press News+12 Reposted by 12 other sources
Half of all nursing homes in Massachusetts are understaffed
It felt like someone was hammering an ice pick into Lynette Couture’s leg. The 55-year-old was recovering in Plymouth Harborside Healthcare’s rehab unit last fall after a horrific car crash shattered her left leg.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left4Leaning Right1Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution61% Center
Bias Distribution
- 61% of the sources are Center
61% Center
L 31%
C 61%
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