Published: August 2017

Elderly in homes might be deprived the right to sue for abuse and neglect

Coalition: Fair Arbitration Now

Dozens of groups in the Fair Arbitration Now Coalition submitted public comments to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) opposing its proposal to eliminate protections for seniors who are harmed by mistreatment and legal violations in nursing homes.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) proposed to repeal a rule prohibiting forced arbitration “rip-off clauses” in nursing home contracts. These clauses deny residents access to the courts to seek compensation for fraud, abuse or neglect – forcing them instead to appear before corporate-friendly arbitrators in hearings that are held in secret and biased against the resident, and offer few grounds for appeal. Consumer Action joined advocates in condemning this cruel proposal to strip legal rights from vulnerable residents in long-term care facilities.

Other Organizations

Alliance for Justice | Baltimore Neighborhoods, Inc. | Center for Elder Care & Advanced Illness | Center for Justice & Democracy | Citizen Works | Consumer Action | Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety | Earthjustice | Florida Consumer Action Network | Florida Alliance for Consumer Protection | Georgia Watch | Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings | Institute for Science and Human Values | International Union, UAW | Justice in Aging | National Association of Consumer Advocates | National Center for Health Research | National Center for Transgender Equality | National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients) | National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care | National Employment Law Project | National Employment Lawyers Association | National Health Law Program | National Organization for Women | National Women’s Health Network | Progressive Congress Action Fund | Public Citizen | Public Justice | Public Justice Center | Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need | Social Security Works | Texas Watch | The Arc of the United States | The Impact Fund | Washington Advocates for Patient Safety | Woodstock Institute

More Information

To read the full coalition letter, click here.

For more information, please visit Fair Arbitration Now.

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