Exactly. I am DON of a nursing home that specializes in behaviors. A third of my residents have no direct need to live here, but they know what to say to game the system. The state isn't even interested in trying to reduce costs.
All the state board of health cares about is compliance, which drives up costs. The legislators are plain negligent on the subject.
Between the drug seekers, homeless, mentally ill, and grossly obese the system is over burdened by people who should not be in it. Group homes would be a much cheaper option for many of these patients (if you're of the mind it's the states duty to care for them at all).
Long term care centers are a huge financial drain on our health care, it's very frustrating that nothing is being done to reduce regulation and costs in this sector. I've never heard any one talk about it during healthcare debates! The conversation always seems to be about shifting around who pays for costs, not how to reduce them.
Republicans didn't want to pass the tax. This is the democrats' answer.
It costs upwards of 170 dollars a day to house a medicaid patient at a nursing home (in Louisiana). No one seems to be talking about what to do to reduce costs, or remove people from the system who truly should not be housed at these facilities.