McKinley Advocates for Better Quality of Care for America's Seniors
Press Release
Today U.S. Representatives David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-W.Va.) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) reintroduced bipartisan legislation that protects long-term care residents and enhance accountability among the nation's worst-performing facilities.
The Nursing Home Reform Modernization Act of 2021 will expand the "Special Focus Facility" (SFF) program and ensure that all facilities nominated for the program receive additional oversight, enforcement, and technical assistance.
"The COVID pandemic has caused undue burden amongst our nation's nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 174,000 residents and staff of nursing homes and long-term facilities have unnecessarily lost their lives," said McKinley. "This bipartisan legislation provides additional resources to underperforming facilities to ensure our nation's vulnerable seniors will receive the quality of care they deserve."
"The unspeakable harm that has been visited upon our nursing homes during the pandemic makes clear we must no longer tolerate allowing our senior communities to fall through the cracks," said Pascrell. "In our state New Jersey we have witnessed grievous suffering in long-term care facilities. Federal deregulation and lack of oversight failed our seniors, our veterans, and our grandparents. This landmark bipartisan bill will impose accountability on those are entrusted to care for Americans seniors. We can no longer look the other way."
Joining Reps. McKinley and Pascrell as original cosponsors are Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA).
The Senate companion to the Nursing Home Reform Modernization Act of 2021 was introduced by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA).
Background:
The Nursing Home Reform Modernization Act of 2020 would also increase educational resources for all underperforming facilities and establish an independent Advisory Council to inform the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on how best to foster quality improvements.
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