WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Mark Walker (NC-06) today introduced the Nursing Home Accountability Act, a bill aimed at protecting seniors by linking the quality ratings of nursing homes to their eligibility for federally-insured loans.

“Our seniors deserve the upmost respect and care,” Walker said. “Nursing homes and senior care facilities that fail to provide quality care should be ineligible for taxpayer-insured loans. The Nursing Home Accountability Act links ratings with federal loan eligibility to ensure our parents and loved ones are protected,” Walker added.  

Currently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 232 Program provides federal loan insurance for loans covering the needs of nursing homes and other senior care facilities. However, while HUD requires Section 232 applicants to submit their latest quality ratings (5-Star Rating) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the quality rating is not a deciding factor. This has allowed nursing homes that provide routinely poor care to receive repeated taxpayer-insured loans.

The Nursing Home Accountability Act links CMS’ quality ratings to loan eligibility to ensure federally-backed loans go to nursing homes with a demonstrated commitment to quality care for their residents. This bill determines a nursing home ineligible for future Section 232 loans if the facility receives a CMS Five-Star Quality Rating of two or less for thirty consecutive months. A nursing home can return to eligibility status if the facility maintains a rating of three stars or more for thirty months.