AARP: Nursing Home Arbitration Bill Needed to Protect Our Most Vulnerable

Source: AARP Press Center | July 30, 2008

July 30, 2008

Contact: Nancy Thompson, AARP, 202-434-2560, nthompson@aarp.org

AARP issued a statement following today’s passage of the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act (H.R. 6126) by the House Judiciary Committee. The statement, from AARP Vice President of Government Relations Elaine Ryan, follows:

“Choosing a nursing home is a difficult task for any family, often complicated by a swift and stressful transition from home or a hospital. Applications and complicated paperwork only add to the anxiety. Too often, this confusing and emotionally loaded process leads many prospective nursing home residents and their families to sign admissions contracts with potentially disastrous consequences.

“Fine print clauses buried in many admissions contracts often require individuals and their families who may have claims, such as abuse or neglect, against their nursing homes to use arbitration – forcing them into a system that is often stacked against them.

“The bill passed by the committee today would restore their legal right to seek justice in a court of law.

“We applaud Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) for their leadership, as well as the Judiciary Committee for supporting this bill to protect some of our most vulnerable. AARP looks forward to working with them and their colleagues in the House to pass nursing home arbitration legislation this year.”

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