A recent wave of evictions has displaced dozens of assisted-living residents in Wisconsin who depend on Medicaid for their care — highlighting another pitfall of the long-term care industry, The Washington Post reported April 6.
In 2020, about 18 percent of assisted living residents were supported by Medicaid. Although that ratio has remained stable for decades, these residents face a more precarious situation because federal laws do not protect Medicaid beneficiaries from eviction.
The government does not monitor or regulate assisted-living facilities, so no federal data is available for the number of evictions. Nationally, state ombudsman programs have received 3,265 complaints related to evictions from assisted living in 2020. The reasons for eviction are not listed, though ombudsmen said most arose after operators declared the resident's needs too great for the facility to handle.
"It's a good illustration of how Medicaid assisted-living public policy is still in its Wild West phase, with providers doing what they choose in many cases, even though it's unfair to consumers," Eric Carlson, an attorney and director of long-term services and support advocacy at the nonprofit group Justice in Aging, told the Post. "You can't just flip in and out of these relationships and treat the people as incidental damage."
Many residents enter assisted living paying out of their pockets with the understanding they will be allowed to stay once they enroll in Medicaid. But years later, facilities sometimes decide to no longer accept Medicaid.
Like nursing homes, assisted-living facilities are threatened by staff shortages, inflation and higher interest rates, all while occupancy rates lag behind pre-pandemic peaks and Medicaid reimbursements remain low.
About 4.4 million Americans have some form of long-term care paid for by Medicaid, and potentially 73 million more baby boomers could come to rely on the program as their need for care grows, according to the report.