Be wary of facilities that rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements

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A 2017 report by Kaiser Health News notes that nursing homes that rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements for their funding generally have lower standards of care than those that look to Medicare or private payments to cover their costs. Using ratings from the federal government’s Nursing Home Compare website, Kaiser Health News found that on average, the five-star nursing home provides 5.4 hours of daily care for each resident. By contrast, the average one-star rated facility gives only 3.0 hours of care each day. KHN also noted that at the best-staffed homes (i.e. those with five stars), only 4 of 10 residents were on Medicaid. At the worst-staffed homes (i.e. the one stars), 7 of 10 residents were on Medicaid.

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