Omitted Deaths
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study showing nursing homes hid thousands of COVID deaths. They omitted deaths before the federal government required reporting the number of deaths. The study estimated the count is missing 12% of cases. The industry omitted 14% of deaths among nursing home residents in 2020.
However, cases and deaths in these facilities have decreased drastically since the widespread distribution of vaccines. Some 83% of nursing home residents are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to federal data, while that number is about 62% among staff.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services will give an additional $25.5 billion in taxpayer funds to the industry.
The funding includes $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan resources for rural Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program or Medicare patients. An additional $17 billion for providers who can document revenue loss and expenses associated with the pandemic.
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have received at least $14 billion of $178 billion in Provider Relief Funds, with the last allocation coming in December.