Nursing home critics say COVID-19 immunity laws are a free pass for neglect
Nearly 30 states have granted legal immunity to nursing homes to shield them from COVID-19 lawsuits.
According to the state Department of Health, there have been 203 resident cases at Centre Crest and 106 cases among staff. All told, 70 residents died from COVID-19.
The lawsuit, filed in state court and announced Tuesday, contended the Department of Human Services is refusing to provide supplemental payments to nursing homes as required by law, depriving them of crucial funding to fight the pandemic.
Centre Crest said it’s testing all residents once a week and that it has adequate testing resources and personal protective equipment.
A large, for-profit Pennsylvania nursing home where dozens of residents died of COVID-19 has been sued over allegations that it failed to take basic steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County near the Ohio border was among the hardest-hit nursing homes in the state.