On Sept. 6 the Energy and Commerce Committee hosted a hearing for examining federal efforts to ensure quality of care and resident safety in nursing homes. Members of the committee spent almost two hours making statements and questioning witnesses from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The opening statement from Chairman Walden (R-OR) referred to the tragedy that occurred in the Hollywood Hills, Florida rehabilitation center and asked that the focus of the hearing be on what CMS is doing to maintain consistency across the country and guarantee that all states are effectively surveying nursing homes on their behalf to ensure compliance with existing federal requirements. Sen. Gregg Harper (R-MS), chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, stated, “Protecting our most vulnerable citizens is among the most fundamental responsibilities entrusted to the federal government, and it is also a responsibility that we, as Americans, all share.”
