“For Most States, At Least A Third Of COVID-19 Deaths Are In Long-Term Care Facilities,” by Vanessa Romo, NPR

Quote:

“Coronavirus fatalities in long-term care facilities have surpassed a grim threshold in much of the country, accounting for at least a third of the deaths in 26 states and more than half in 14 of those. The data, which was published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, reports tallies from a variety of care facilities, including nursing homes, adult care residences, and other skilled nursing care settings. However, it does not break out those categories separately.”

LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):

The one thing all these death traps have in common is that Medicaid funds most of the care they provide–at miserly rates. To make up for the revenue shortfall from Medicaid, providers charge their dwindling number of private payers half again as much. So private papers, including the responsible ones who have long-term care insurance, end up in the same Medicaid traps but paying exorbitant rates. At least the private payers may have options. Declining nursing home occupancy suggests some are decamping to private homes where they can pay a market price for quality home caregivers they can retain or let go.