WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, released a statement in reaction to the Biden Administration’s announcement of a proposed rule that would require nursing homes to disclose to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and states additional ownership and management information.
The statement is attributable to Mark Parkinson, president and CEO at AHCA/NCAL:
“We support transparency and appreciate the Administration’s efforts to assist families in making more informed decisions. However, focusing on ownership and private equity is a red herring. Less than 5 percent of nursing homes are owned by private equity firms and roughly 12 percent are owned by a REIT, an entity that typically has no influence on daily operations. This has become a distraction from the real issues that impact the majority of providers, like Medicaid underfunding and workforce shortages. If we truly want to improve America’s nursing homes, we need policymakers to prioritize investing in our caregivers and this chronically underfunded health care sector. Together, we should focus on meaningful solutions that can strengthen delivering the quality of care and services that our nation’s seniors deserve.”
-30-