The next year Congress passed legislation to address decades of abuse of the elderly by profiteering nursing-home operators. But in the blink of an eye these days, a carefully built construct of regulations can be blown away without so much as a formal hearing. As part of a crusade to curb federal authority, and with only a simple assertion that the regulations are burdensome, two congressional committees have sent to the floor for a vote this week legislation that would repeal federal standards. There would be no protection against patients' being restrained, no standards on staffing or when someone could be discharged after using up all his or her money. Niceties like nurses would be optional, since there is no requirement in the new legislation that a licensed nurse be present.
Republicans justify the changes by saying the states know best how to run nursing homes.
Of course, it was the failure of state regulation that got the reforms passed in the first place. In fact, it turns out that being humane actually saves money. But wholesale budget slashing will no doubt pressure some facilities to cut corners. Republicans may have entered the slaphappy phase of their revolution, killing regulations simply because they can. Indeed, the nursing-home industry has not even asked for regulatory relief, in part because it would allow unscrupulous operators to flourish and bring shame on all of them.