Dole: Ease Nursing Home Laws

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole assured nursing home owners Tuesday that Congress will ease up on regulations even as it seeks to save money by limiting the growth of Medicaid spending.

Nursing home executives applauded the promise of regulatory relief, but many voiced skepticism about the GOP plans to convert Medicaid into block grants to the states.

Dole, other congressional leaders and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala all trooped before the American Health Care Association seeking the industry’s support in the battle unfolding over Medicare and Medicaid.

Dole assured the 500 nursing home executives that any Medicaid block grant would have “a lot of protection” for the elderly and disabled who rely on that program to pay their nursing home bills.

Medicaid pays more than half the country’s nursing home bills.