Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Many patients residing in nursing homes have received CARES Act stimulus checks — and shockingly, some nursing facilities have tried to steal these payments from these vulnerable residents.

Then: Originally, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) first started reporting that some nursing facilities were having residents sign over their CARES Act checks to them, which is in violation of the tax law, an FTC report indicates. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) backed that up with a gentle reminder on June 16 about the CARES Act funds, nursing facilities, and tax benefits.

Now: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is also on top of the allegations and warns that the “practice is prohibited, and nursing homes that seize these payments from residents could be subject to federal enforcement actions, including potential termination from participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs,” an agency release says.

See the details at www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/nursing-home-residents-right-retain-federal-economic-incentive-payments.