Sens. Wyden, Casey Condemn Trump Administration's Refusal to Identify Nursing Homes With COVID-19 Cases

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news:

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senate Aging Committee Ranking Member Bob Casey, D-Pa., denounced the Trump administration for not providing more information to the public about the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes around the country. The lack of response to a request from Wyden and Casey earlier this month comes as Americans continue to fear for their loved ones and news reports indicate many facilities are overwhelmed.

"As reports of the number of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes mount, so do the fears of every American that has a loved one in a nursing home. There have been numerous reports of nursing homes with dozens of cases and even deaths under appalling circumstances," the senators said. "In light of this situation, it is completely unacceptable that the Trump administration refuses to publicly disclose the names of nursing homes with cases of COVID-19. Not only is this information important for families, workers, first responders and community members, it is critical for public health experts so they can direct resources and help these facilities slow the spread of this terrible virus."

On April 2, Wyden and Casey sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calling on the agencies to release the list of nursing facilities that have documented cases of COVID-19 and requesting information about what nursing homes are required to report when an individual tests positive.

News reports revealed that the agencies are refusing to provide this information to nursing home residents, their families, health professionals, first responders and the public. The letter requested a response by Thursday, April 16, but no response has been received.