In 2001, legislators created landmark elder care reform through mandated increased minimum staffing requirements, tougher regulation, quality improvement and risk management programs for nursing homes. The result of SB 1202 has been the steady improvement of quality care for residents. Today, however, certain predatory trial attorneys are exploiting loopholes in the law to artificially inflate the costs of defending litigation and the value of their claims against nursing homes.
FHCA, together with its advocacy partner, Our Florida Promise, are urging lawmakers to consider including tort reform provisions in proposals to reform Medicaid to ensure scarce state and federal funding is preserved for continuing the steady improvements to nursing home resident quality care.