A federal watchdog has found widespread problems tracking safety and quality such as sexual or physical assault and medication errors at assisted living facilities.
A report by the Government Accountability Office found that 26 states couldn’t report the number of critical safety or quality incidents at an assisted living facility, out of the 47 states and the District of Columbia that pay for assisted living for their Medicaid enrollees. The 22 states that did track the information used different definitions for a critical incident, complicating oversight.
Of the 22 states that did report incidents, 22,921 involved Medicaid enrollees, the GAO said. However, it did not detail what those incidents were.
The report is the first national assessment of quality of care for Medicaid enrollees at assisted living facilities across the country. Senators on the Senate Finance Committee asked for the review, with some saying the report underscores the need for reform.
“With more and more Americans living in assisted living facilities supported by billions in Medicaid dollars, the federal government must help ensure that our seniors and disabled residents receive quality care,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
Assisted living facilities are alternatives to nursing homes that also provide additional medical help that a nursing home cannot provide.
Most states have expanded Medicaid’s long-term care options to include assisted living facilities. Overall, 47 states and the District of Columbia spent $10 billion on assisted living services in 2014, the year the GAO reviewed data from states. The three states that did not pay for assisted living were Louisiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
The GAO found that more than 330,000 Medicaid enrollees are in assisted living.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said the findings show the need for legislation on accountability and quality.
“Medicaid spends billions of dollars to provide this care — and we need to make sure we have the information necessary to ensure accountability,” she said. “I plan to pursue legislation to address these groundbreaking findings.”
