Potential and current Nodaway Nursing Home residents who rely on Medicare and Medicaid coverage might have to go elsewhere if nursing home officials can’t clear up a matter with state and federal inspections.
Officials with the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the nursing home would no longer be allowed to bill both health insurance providers in light of one state and one federal “deficiency ratings” that have not been corrected since an April inspection.
That means those admitted to the nursing home after Tuesday, Oct. 28, wouldn’t have coverage for their stay through both Medicare and Medicaid. Those who are admitted on the deadline day or before would have until the end of business on Friday, Nov. 28, to find a new nursing home.
The “deficiency,” by both state and federal measures, isn’t for health or safety related matters.
Rather, nursing home facility workers were cited for clerical matters, such as not following protocol to properly document and monitor patients.
While the deficiency didn’t result in patients being in immediate or long-term danger, two follow-up inspections from the April showed the problem wasn’t corrected.
William Kobel, program manager for surveying and compliance for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said inspectors came in both July and September –– both times finding similar deficiencies at the facility.
After the third visit –– six months following the April inspection –– he said Medicare and Medicaid officials made the decision to cutoff billing services.
“This could have pretty significant financial impact to the facility and residents,” Kobel said.
“People of course will have the option of moving and residents will of course be given that opportunity.”
According to the most recent inspection documents, employees didn’t properly keep record of a resident receiving medication, charts weren’t properly signed –– or not signed by the correct person.
In one case, a physician’s order for a patient to receive Milk of Magnesia, for constipation, wasn’t followed –– meaning the patient never received his or her medication.
Chuck Loucks, director of Nodaway Nursing Home, said his staff has addressed the so-called deficiency and that he’s waiting for the inspectors to come back in.
“The scrutiny involved with these inspections is intense,” he said. “That’s OK, it’s just the nature of the business.
“This is just a glitch –– it’s a process we’re working through and we feel we’ll be able to resolve this problem.”
A letter was also sent out to “Family and friends,” of the nursing home from Loucks informing them the issue has been resolved and that people would notice no change in services with Medicare and Medicaid.
However, Kobel said Medicare/Medicaid officials haven’t given inspectors permission to go back to the nursing home for a fourth inspection.
If that happens, nursing home staff will have a chance to clear up the deficiency and have their status with the insurance providers restored.
If not, residents will have some decisions to make.
Maryville, Mo. —
