A proposal to streamline government inspection of nursing homes is "probably not going anywhere fast," White House Press Secretary Michael McCurry said today.
The plan, developed by the Health Standards and Quality Bureau at the Department of Health and Human Services, would reduce the scope of reviews at many nursing homes and require fewer nursing home residents be interviewed by inspectors about their care, The New York Times reported this morning. McCurry said the proposal has not yet reached top HHS administrators, much less received a review by OMB officials.
McCurry noted President Clinton the last two years has blocked proposals by Republicans to curtail nursing home inspections and would not be in favor of it now. While the latest plan appears to be a non-starter, the administration will continue to look for ways to toughen enforcement of nursing home regulations and target resources toward correcting the worst abuses, McCurry said.
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