A recent hot topic has been the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes throughout the country. On May 23, 2020, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma wrote an op-ed in Newsweek on the actions the Trump Administration took to stop the spread, specifically in nursing homes.
At the outset of her article, Administrator Verma recognized the unique challenge posed by nursing homes and COVID-19, saying, “[t]he combination of a highly contagious virus and vulnerable residents living in close quarters has made nursing homes one of the front lines in the fight against this virus.” She then acknowledged the historic difficulties nursing homes have had with infection control and gave a head nod to recent changes, including “strengthen[ing] and standardiz[ing] the inspection process across states and increased average fines for noncompliance.”
With respect to COVID-19, Administrator Verma noted that the agency worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue guidance for investigations into early nursing home outbreaks and inspections. The guidance was based on “longstanding infection control requirements” and was tailored specifically to COVID-19. One of the requirements in the guidance documents was the restriction of non-essential visitors to nursing homes.
Now, as the country begins to slowly open back up, nursing home restrictions are starting to be loosened. However, Administrator Verma focused on the “extreme caution” that should be used when it comes to the nursing homes and their “fragile populations.” She discussed the phased recommendations and the “unprecedented transparency effort” that requires nursing homes to report all new cases of COVID-19 to residents and their families, in addition to the CDC. That data will also be made public and will serve as part of a “nationwide coronavirus surveillance system that will help us protect nursing home residents and communities through timely outbreak detection, reporting, tracking and mitigation.”
Administrator Verma also discussed budgeting for nursing homes, noting that under the CARES Act, $81 million in grants went to states to enhance their inspections of nursing homes. Additionally, the Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes was established, which will serve as an independent commission to assess the response to COVID-19 in nursing homes and provide recommendations for future action.
Administrator Verma closed out her op-ed by highlighting the importance of a “spirit of shared responsibility” moving forward when it comes to nursing homes and their “beloved elderly” residents.