Casey, Wyden push for nursing home data
Nursing homes nationwide must now report COVID-19 cases and deaths and some other pandemic-related information to the federal government, and that information will be made public in a few weeks, but that's not nearly soon enough to suit some elected officials.
"The
In a separate statement, Casey pounded the
"The lack of transparency into where the virus has spread not only delays our response to this crisis, it unnecessarily risks lives. Thus far, the Administration has taken baby steps towards what's needed, without knowing where to address their response. Without this information, adequate testing and a full supply of (personal protective equipment), our seniors will continue to suffer," Casey said.
In response, CMS provided a statement saying that "in the absence of congressional action, the
CMS noted the agency alerted nursing homes on
With the new requirements implemented by CMS over three weeks from the initial notice to nursing homes, nursing homes are now required to report the first week of data to the
"Our guidance clearly states that we plan to publicly release this data by the end of May. Given this, it is unclear to us the basis of the senators' criticism," CMS said.
Moving too slowly
Casey and Wyden sent a letter on
The senators sent the letter after the
CMS, which regulates more than 15,000 nursing homes nationwide, released on Wednesday a guidance memo detailing nursing home reporting requirements under the rule.
The guidance document made clear that it will be several weeks, if not longer, until COVID-19 cases and deaths at nursing homes are reported to residents, their families, and the public, according to Casey and Wyden.
The senators' major complaints are:
--Slow implementation: CMS will not require nursing homes to begin to submit data to
--Slow public reporting: CMS does not anticipate that it will begin publicly reporting the data nursing homes submit until late May -- nearly three months after the first COVID-19 death at a nursing home in
--Relaxed reporting rules: According to a memo CMS issued on
Release of state data
On Wednesday,
However,
State Sen.
Yudichak also said the DOH should have been releasing that data publicly since the first cases were reported, noting that 38 other states, including
"Under the emergency declaration (Gov.
No comprehensive plan
Yudichak also slammed the
He said
Yudichak noted that Levine testified before the state Senate Aging and Youth and
And, while
Yudichak said he would like to know why underutilized field hospitals set up to handle COVID-19 patient overflow from hospitals can't be used to house nursing home residents, which would be allowed under CMS rules.
And despite claims from the
Yudichak announced last week the establishment of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Nursing Home Supply Operate Save Program to assist area nursing homes with an initial
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