July 13, 2015

Bipartisan Group of Senators Requests GAO Report on Medicaid Oversight and Quality of Care in Assisted Living Facilities

WASHINGTON, DC - A bipartisan group of United States senators has sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a report on the oversight of and quality of care provided to Medicaid enrollees at assisted living facilities. The letter was sent by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), member of the Special Committee on Aging; Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Chairman of the Committee on Finance and member of the Special Committee on Aging; Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chairman of the Special Committee on Aging; and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Ranking Member of the Special Committee on Aging.

"Given the growth in federal Medicaid spending for long-term care services and expected program growth caused by the aging and expansion of the population and program, information to understand federal and state spending and oversight of care provided in these settings is needed," the senators wrote.

Currently, the federal government oversees and monitors care provided to Medicaid and Medicare recipients in nursing facilities. But while federal Medicaid funding helps cover assisted living services in many states, oversight of care in these settings is primarily conducted by the states, with standards that vary dramatically.

The senators' letter asks GAO to investigate the number of Medicaid enrollees in assisted living facilities and the level of federal spending for their care, and requests details on state Medicaid coverage for assisted living facilities. The letter also requests information about federal and state oversight of care provided to Medicaid enrollees in assisted living facilities, and how it may differ from the oversight of care provided in nursing facilities.

Read the full text of the letter here.

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