Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) referred to as for the Division of Justice (DOJ) to research youth residential remedy amenities operated by a number of nationwide well being care corporations, alleging proof of civil rights violations and Medicaid fraud.
In two letters to Lawyer Common Merrick Garland, Wyden claimed proof confirmed “civil rights violations of children and young people” in addition to “abuse, neglect, and fraud” carried out by 4 operators of youth residential remedy amenities: Common Well being Providers, Acadia Healthcare, Devereux Superior Behavioral Well being and Vivant Behavioral Healthcare.
The Senate Finance Committee, which Wyden chairs, launched a report earlier this yr titled “Warehouses of Neglect: How Taxpayers Are Funding Systemic Abuse In Youth Residential Treatment Facilities.”
The report resulted from a two-year investigation carried out by the Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions. It alleged that these remedy amenities had been rampant with a number of types of abuse, unsanitary situations and an working mannequin that incentivized earnings over well being care.
Aside from Devereux, all the businesses named in Wyden’s letters are for-profit corporations.
Wyden additionally alleged these amenities soak up billions in Medicaid {dollars} whereas failing to stick to laws set by the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Providers.
“Recently, deficiencies similar to those presented in my report were the basis of a $20 million settlement between the DOJ and Acadia Healthcare in which it was alleged that the company made baseless admissions to its adult facilities, failed to provision services to patients in its care, and chronically understaffed its facilities, leading to patient injury and death,” Wyden wrote, referring to a latest settlement through which Acadia admitted to no wrongdoing.
The Oregon senator referred the findings of this report back to the DOJ, asking that the company look into whether or not these corporations are failing to stick to Medicaid necessities, billing Medicaid for substandard care and if they’re violating Title II of the People with Disabilities Act.
When reached by The Hill, Common Well being Providers referred to as the Senate report’s findings “incomplete and misleading.”
“We acknowledge that there have been isolated incidents over our many years of dedicated service at some of the facilities where the treatment of a resident has not met our expectations,” stated the corporate. “Such incidents belie the commitment of these facilities to provide a safe and therapeutic environment as well as the policies, procedures, protocols and training for the facilities.”
