Responding to long-standing problems that were made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, a bill approved late Thursday would increase payments to nursing homes and tie much of the increase to staffing levels and quality of care.
Illinois lawmakers Thursday unanimously approved a landmark funding increase for nursing homes that one sponsor called the most important improvement ever made to long-term care facilities in the state.
To qualify for bonus reimbursement, nursing homes would have to meet at least 70% of federal staffing level guidelines, and would get paid based on their quality star rating by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services . For the first time, long-term care facilities will also be required to publicly identify all owners, which can often be hidden in a maze of corporate structures. That requirement is in response to a trend toward private equity ownership that Gillespie said is more focused on profits than patient care.
“For the first time,” Pritzker said, “increased funding for nursing homes will be tied to staffing levels at these facilities, ensuring new funds go directly to improving care for our seniors instead of profit for owners and allowing us to hold bad actors accountable.”
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