Nursing Homes Negotiate to Avoid Paying Large Fines
In Illinois, a nursing home where a 12-year-old boy was killed negotiated with state officials to reduce a fine of $50,000 down to $10,000 following the incident. In the entire state, several other locations have successfully negotiated fines down to only 21% of the initial amount. 9 other homes had to pay a total amount of $220, 000 but only paid $45,000 in fines despite a high number of deaths in each facility. In another incident, a facility was fined $25,000 after a 28-year-old woman died as a result of pneumonia.
The incident occurred in 2006 when an investigation showed the woman’s oxygen level reduced to 85%, which is a dangerous level for any person. The facility took steps to help the woman and gave her an oxygen mask but they did not stay there to ensure that the mask stayed on. The woman subsequently removed the mask and her oxygen level reduced once again. The facility was later fined another $35,000 for several other violations. However, they were able to negotiate the total amount (which should have been $60,000) down to $20,000 total. That fine has yet to be paid, according to the report.
The fact that these residents were killed as a result of negligence is significant enough for the fines to remain as high as they originally were. It is a travesty that the nursing homes are essentially let off the hook with a smaller fine because they were able to negotiate it that low. These medical facilities should be held completely responsible for their negligence and should be forced to pay the full amount in the fine. Allowing negotiations to decrease the fine by any amount is the equivalent of a slap on the wrist, demonstrating to other facilities that they can easily negotiate fines down and not have to lose money despite their negligence
