THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

The state’s 81 nursing homes and our workers are taking care of RI’s most frail elderly each day, working with our heads and our hearts. We’ve continued to do this despite cuts to Medicaid of more than $50 million since 2012. Yet, outside groups are circulating FALSE claims to legislators and our workers, residents and their family members.

FALSE Claim:
Nursing homes made $100 million in profit in 2017 and 2018.

The TRUTH:
Claims of hundreds of millions in profits are laughable. In 2017 and 2018, the industry’s nursing homes had a loss of $7.9 million* 
*According to BM 64 Cost Reports filed by individual homes.

FALSE Claim:
RI nursing homes staff at between 2.2 and 3.0 hours and provide the least amount of care.

The TRUTH:
RI’s average staffing hours are at 3.6* and our homes rank #2 for health care quality in the nation**.
*CMS, Medicare.gov **America’s Health Rankings 2019 Senior Report
This achievement comes even as RI is facing a severe CNA staffing crisis and the state continues to withhold our rightful Medicaid reimbursement.

FALSE Claim:
Staffing at 4.1 hrs should be mandated in law.

The TRUTH:
Our workers DO NOT need mandatory hours and homes do not need another unfunded mandate. We need the Medicaid funding we are owed. This mandate would devastate the industry.
4.1 hours would make RI an outlier in the country. CT has a 1.9 mandate, MA has no mandate and like RI, follows CMS industry guidelines.
It is in the best interest of nursing homes to provide quality care to their residents. Quality care for each resident is not based on a randomly promoted set of hours. It is based on acuity, resident needs, and the training of quality staff.

 

These FALSE claims must stop. The truth is the critical tool in this fight for our residents and employees.