Another trend emerging in the industry that may be driving up costs is Wall Street. Four out of the 10 largest for-profit nursing home chains were purchased by private equity firms from 2003-2008, according to a case study analyzing private equity takeover.
Research on the impact of private equity has shown mixed results, though one study showed how a nursing home chain that was taken over by a private equity firm showed a general reinforcement of profit-seeking strategies that were already in place, while adding some strategies aimed at improving efficiency. Other reports have detailed darker results.
During the Obama administration, the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act (CLASS Act) was signed into law to help ease the burden as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but it was later rescinded by Congress over concerns voluntary enrollment wasn’t viable—premiums would be too high and the system would eventually collapse, Johnson said. This left the ACA with little to no assistance for long-term care costs.
Some states have started taking matters into their own hands. Washington State passed a bill in April that would implement a 0.58% payroll tax that would give residents up to $36,500 to pay for long-term care services. Payroll tax will begin collecting in 2022, while residents can start withdrawing in 2025. But that’s just one state, and the problem, Huang and Johnson note, is national in scope.
“If there would be a higher reimbursement rate, either by Medicaid or Medicare, nursing home quality would be likely to improve,” Huang said. “But I don’t see that happening in the near future.
This story provided by Bloomberg.