Pillen, Iowa governor write letter to Biden criticizing long-term care facilities regulations

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Erin Bamer

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen sent a letter signed by 14 other Republican governors to President Joe Biden on Wednesday, urging him to reconsider proposed requirements made to long-term care facilities.

According to a state press release, Pillen directed the letter in collaboration with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in response to new rules the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shared in early September.

The regulations would require nursing homes to ensure that residents receive a minimum number of nursing care hours each day. Facilities also must have a registered nurse on staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week and expand resident assessment requirements. CMS is still taking feedback on the proposal.

The proposal is billed as a step toward meeting a Biden administration pledge to ensure that America’s 1.2 million nursing home residents “get the safe, high-quality care that they deserve,” according to a statement by CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

Read more: https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/pillen-iowa-governor-write-letter-to-biden-criticizing-long-term-care-facilities-regulations/article_19609fce-78eb-11ee-b0a5-13d134c6b3eb.html

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Why? $$ to the owners. All they care about. F grandma and her 'needs.' GDMFSOB Repubes

[Lonestarblue]

2. Many nursing homes in this country are an absolute disgrace.

They’re often deliberately understaffed to increase profits, and it’s the patients who suffer. I’ve visited a number of nursing homes because relatives were there, and my conclusion is that I never want to be in one. Even the supposedly good ones leave a lot to be desired. Texas, especially, has some of the worst in the nation.

[slightlv]

6. I just told my daughter I never want to live in one of these old age nursing homes.

They're warehouses for death, and not much more. After seeing first hand... especially how "care" has changed from the time I first visited back in the 70's and 80's to now, I'll take a bottle of any kind of narcotics over that. Further, I'll take care of my own hubster, despite his rapidly diminishing number of marbles. Thank goodness, except for a few here and there, I seem to be retaining mine, and working hard to keep it that way.

[msongs]

3. repubs advocate return to soylent green nt

[The Magistrate]

4. Quick Rule Of Thumb, Sir

Anyone who objects to a regulation as 'a one-size-fits-all' approach is a not just dishonest, but knows it. People need just as much tending in Iowa as in New York or Tumbuctu. They may not get it, but they need it.

Anyone objecting that a regulation is both unnecessary and too costly is counting on an idiot audience. Of course the regulation directs a thing be done that will not be otherwise, because doing it would cut into profits, and business is chugging along just fine as things are now.

What anyone objecting that the regulation's cost will drive some operators to close is actually saying is that businesses only turning a profit by providing substandard service and products ought by right to continue doing so to the detriment of the public at large.

[CTyankee]

26. It's a quandary for sure. We do not want to go into a nursing home but are finding it difficult to manage at home now

that we are elderly. I am exhausted from trying to care for my handicapped husband. We are both in our 80s. We want to be independent as possible in our own home. But recently he fell and cut his head open and I called 911 and got good, fairly quick service. Luckily, he was sewn up and fine and released to go home. Taking care of him at home has taken every ounce of my strength and that's not going to get any better. What I see ahead for us is grim, indeed.

[JohnSJ]

5. In other words, the repukes criticism is they don't want regulations on healthcare facilities that will protect

the heath and safety of those residents.

The republican party is the party of death squads. WAKE UP RED STATES!!!

[FloridaBlues]

7. These nursing facilities need to be better staffed. Many only have 1 RN for entire facility.

Go after the owners to pay better salaries and work load.

[mpcamb]

22. Maybe Pillen can staff them with underage kids from the Purdue chicken factories...

[trof]

8. Repugs just want seniors to die and go away.

We're a burden to society.
A drag on the economy.
Old and ugly.
They hate Medicare and Social Security retirement payments.
"Entitlements"
Never mind that we paid into both for most of our working lives.
We should emulate the ancient Native Americans and just crawl off into the bush and die.

HELL NO!
I'm 82 and my goal in life is to stick around long enough to see Donnie-Two-Scoops in jail. That is a hell of an incentive.

[raising2moredems]

11. You forgot poor people.

Which is why every time I hear them proclaim to be "pro-life", I call bullshit. And it wasn't that long ago Caribou Barbie was whining about "killing granny". Guess it is okay to kill granny when it adds to the bottom line, grants pay raises, and preserves bonuses.

[delisen]

24. SS and Medicare-are so successful they need a National Holiday

We certainly have the right as people to gather together and set up our own insurance plans to provide for ourselves in times of decline

Social Security and traditional Medicare have been incredibly successful and are two institutions in which we can take great pride.

Social Security has freed younger generations by providing a stream of income to elders and Medicare has not only improved the health of elders on a day to day basis but has created an increase in medical research that ultimately is benefiting people at every stage of life.

Complainers just want to divert our investment in ourselves and each other and put our dollars into their own pockets.

[Puppyjive]

9. $15,000 a month

I think the can comply. That is what my parents were paying. They needed 24 hour care. I've learned a lot. My parents were getting their meds from a supplemental plan. When they moved in, they forced us to get their drugs thru their pharmacy. Their bill went up considerably. We found out the ceo of the facility was a board member of the pharmacy. So much corruption.

[Farmer-Rick]

10. I guess we know where

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and 14 other Republican govenorors get their bribes ....I mean....get their campaign contributions from.

Deregulation has always been a scam. It's all about providing the least amount of service for the highest amount of pay.

After COVID showed how vulnerable folks are in nursing homes to any rampaging illness spreading. I am never going into one.

My mother was paying $30,000 a month for assisted living in Florida. I think Florida has some of the worst nursing homes in the country.

[WA-03 Democrat]

12. Outsourcing your old

What could possibly go wrong???

[Old Crank]

13. Republicans on record

Of profit before people. As if we needed more evidence.

[Skittles]

14. Biden needs to tell them to go fuck themselves

the costs are ridiculously high, they just don't like stuff to eat into their profits

[BComplex]

15. My question is: WHY DON'T WE HEAR ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN RESPONSE 24/7

on the mainstream media, like we hear about trump 24/7?

Until Democrats in power learn that you ALL have to be on message, THE SAME MESSAGE, 24/7, and get it all over every channel to get the point across, republicans will continue to get whatever cover for their misdeeds/coverage the media will give them, we will continue to be underrepresented in elections.

Constant repetition, well-structured talking points, and powerful figures getting themselves on cable news to REPEAT and DRIVE HOME what we're standing for will be the only way to make the change we seek. Plus we need to seed social media with meme pushers like the republicans do, and like the Koch brothers perfected in states during the tea party rebellion. In this regard, we need to be more like the enemy to win this war that they are winning. Republicans have perfected propaganda.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

18. You really believe still that the traitor media

Will give Democrats extra time if they 'speak up' or 'stay on message?'

Seriously?

The problem has never been Democrats or their message or their methods of getting information out there.

Because it doesn't matter what Democrats do or say, or how they do or say it. The media's corporate masters don't want Democrats to get any coverage at all, if they can help it. If they do get coverage, it's grudging and almost always paints Democrats in a negative light.

I don't get how blind people are so blind to something that's been reality since 1980, at least.

[BComplex]

21. Then we have to start a rebellion of sorts and call them out on it.

Even the pundits on MSNBC don't call out the media on their unfair coverage.

[Bettie]

16. Iowa LTC facilities are among the worst

in the country....so of course old Kim Reaper wants fewer regulations, so she can win that race to the bottom (well, for her it would be the top, in number of unnecessary deaths).

[LightBright]

17. Iowa - Care facility complaints up 45% from 2020, state data shows

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which oversees nursing homes, assisted living centers and other health care providers, fielded an average of 151 complaints per month in 2020. Through October of this year, the average number of complaints was 219 per month — an increase of 45%.

https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/12/01/care-facility-complaints-up-45-from-2020-state-data-shows/

[Justice]

19. Copy of letter linked in press release

https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2023-11-01/gov-reynolds-and-gov-pillen-lead-letter-calling-biden-reconsider-centers

Requirements don't seem unreasonable - CMS’s proposed regulations would require a minimum of 0.55 hours per resident per day (HRPD) provided by Registered Nurses (RNs) and 2.45 HRPD provided by Nurse Aides (NAs). Long-term care facilities would also be required to have an RN onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

GOP states seem to be arguing for LPNs and other caregivers - whatever that means -- and for no national minimum.

GOP letter says 38 states already impose minimum staffing requirements on nursing homes, which are tailored to the unique requirements of each state. But not clear which of the 15 states whose governors signed letter have minimum staffing requirements.

[LiberalFighter]

20. If she is up for re-election or another office this needs to be used against her.

[keroro gunsou]

23. Maybe those nitwit

Governors need to spend a month in one of those facilities, and I mean ones that Joe and Jane Public use, not the fancy pants one that only the rich can attain. it’s been my experience that Republicans will only see the light if it directly affects them.

[Grins]

25. What??? "...safe, high-quality care?"

GOP: “We can’t have that!!! We have Traditional Family Values!!!”