Bush Administration secret rule related to nursing homes
Last night’s MSNBC Countdown with Keith Olbermann reported on a nursing home rule consumer advocates have been working tirelessly to highlight in the media and correct. Before leaving office, President Bush silently pushed through this rule protecting the $144 billion nursing home industry. Occurring without any public notice or comment, the rule prevents families from receiving critical information about loved ones abused or neglected when suing nursing home corporations.
In addition to the Countdown segment, Bloomberg and Mother Jones have more on this rule that protects negligent nursing homes while leaving patients without details of government investigations into abuse and neglect.
The rule designates state inspectors and Medicare and Medicaid contractors as federal employees, a group usually shielded from providing evidence for either side in private litigation. The restrictions affect about 16,000 nursing facilities in the U.S. and 3 million residents. The practical effect is to force litigants to go to greater lengths, including seeking court orders, to get inspection reports or depositions for cases they are pursuing or defending.
What is the point of an investigation or regulatory enforcement if the information is not made public?
