Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicare Cuts Off Payments To Florida Nursing Home Where Residents Died After The Hurricane
Federal regulators on Thursday said they are cutting off Medicare, a crucial financial lifeline, to the Hollywood Hills nursing home where residents died from sweltering heat after Hurricane Irma knocked out power to the facility’s air conditioning and forced an emergency evacuation in September. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, also imposed a penalty of $20,965 a day for the three days that the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills lost power to its air conditioning unit, from Sept. 10 — when Irma made landfall in Florida — to Sept. 13, when the facility was evacuated as its residents wilted. (Chang, 10/12)
The state previously banned the center from the Medicaid program. Company officials later announced they were closing permanently. A spokeswoman for the home says they'll appeal and look forward to showing evidence that their actions were consistent with all state and federal rules. (10/12)
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said Thursday the Senate committee with jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid should investigate what led to the deaths of 14 residents of a Hollywood nursing home in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson asked the Senate Finance Committee two weeks ago to investigate what happened at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills. (Man, 10/12)
