Republicans Seek to Restrict Elderly from Suing Nursing Homes Over Abuse or Neglect

Government is intended to represent the People and work on their behalf.  However, many elected and appointed government officials WE employ to operate our nation work everyday to protect the rights of corporations instead of us.

It is difficult to fathom a more clear and appalling example of this than the matter described below to restrict elderly nursing homes residents and their families from suing the facilities in court over alleged abuse, neglect or sexual assault.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans in June to do away with an Obama-era rule that prohibited nursing homes that accept Medicare or Medicaid funds from including language in their resident contracts requiring that disputes be settled by a third party rather than a court.

More than 75 consumer, health and advocacy groups have come together to form the Fair Arbitration Now Coalition to stop CMS from reversing what they claim is a critical protection for the elderly.  AARP, which is part of the coalition, argued in comments it submitted to CMS on [in early August] that the agency lacks the statutory authority to eliminate a protection that was properly written. Remington Gregg, counsel for civil justice and consumer rights at Public Citizen, said the rule change is not only unnecessary, but shameful. Opponents of the rule change are also weighing legal action.

Source: http://thehill.com/regulation/healthcare/345411-fight-over-right-to-sue-nursing-homes-heats-up