Democratic lawmakers demand answers on nursing homes' staffing, corporate spending

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Published 7:04 a.m. ET May 6, 2024 | Updated 7:04 a.m. ET May 6, 2024


Three U.S. Senators and two U.S. Representatives have called out the corporate spending of three large nursing home companies amid the industry's opposition to the Biden administration's rule to set minimum staffing levels.

In letters sent Sunday to executives of three large chains, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Lloyd Doggett questioned the nursing homes' spending on executive compensation, stock buybacks, and dividends as the industry protests a new staffing rule for nursing homes.

The letters, signed by the four Democrats and Sanders, a Vermont Independent, said National Healthcare Corp., the Ensign Group, Inc., and Brookdale Senior Living Inc. spent nearly $650 million on executive pay, stock buybacks and dividends since 2018.

The lawmakers said such spending undermines "the claim that nursing homes cannot afford to pay for enough staff" to meet the new rule.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/05/06/nursing-homes-staffing-exeucutive-pay-democrats-biden/73559531007/

[pfitz59]

1. ALL healthcare needs go back to 'non-profit' status

Caps on executive salaries. Limits on investor returns. Close monitoring of care and staffing. Greed is killing us all.

[JudyM]

2. Excellent riposte by our Dem leaders. They were ready for the parry.

I hope they can find a way to extend this to assisted living down the road, too … skeleton crews are overwhelmed and underpaid.

[usaf-vet]

3. This issue below is strangling EMS service in commuities everywhere. It is an issue that NEEDS legislation at the...

... national level to resolve it.

This is an article from The Washington Post on May 3, 2024 https://archive.ph/Ohza5

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

4. I worked for Brookdale in one of their assisted living facilities

Perpetually understaffed. I stopped working for them after a 17 hour shift because the person who was supposed to come in after me quit and they couldn't get anyone to come in and management staff couldn't help because of overtiime. I was the only resident assistant for 60 elderly people for 6 hours. What if there'd been a medical emergency or someone died? They'd have blamed me.

[Puppyjive]

5. Nursing home made us switch pharmacy

We were told that our mother and father had to switch pharmacies once they moved into the nursing home. Did a little research and the CEO of the nursing home corporation was on the board of the pharmaceutical company we were forced to switch to. I've always thought it was crazy and not right.

[nowforever]

6. Capitalism would end

If the greedy were told to be less greedy. My 112ft yacht needs upgrades and the new vacation home is a landscaping mess.

[CousinIT]

7. Republicans OTOH wouldn't give a damn about these facilities or the people in them.

Once someone retires or stops working because they can't anymore, they would rather they just die. This is why they see no need for Social Security & Medicare.

[RobinA]

8. Well, In Truth

Democrats can only really get the "Better Late Than Never" prize for this one. This isn't exactly a new problem.