For Immediate Release: August 9, 2022
Contact: Karen Gownley, 717-805-6070; karen.gownley@seiuhcpa.org
Statement from SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania Regarding Charges of Healthcare Fraud Against Nursing Home Owner Comprehensive
“Tuesday’s announcement by PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Federal attorneys against Comprehensive nursing home owners comes as no surprise. For years, workers in Pennsylvania nursing homes, including Brighton, have sounded the alarm about the catastrophic impact bad-actor nursing home owners have had on their ability to provide the quality care their residents need and deserve.
We cannot allow nursing home owners to break the law and profit off of our most vulnerable family members and the workers who care for them. Nursing home owners who break the law and operate in bad faith cannot be allowed to continue expanding their portfolios and buying additional nursing homes when they have a track record of practices that harm workers and residents.
As stated in today’s press conference – Medicaid and Medicare dollars are not slush funds for nursing home owners. These are public tax dollars to be spent on caring for our seniors and those with disabilities who require nursing home care.
We applaud Attorney General Josh Shapiro and the federal investigators who are conducting the investigation at Comprehensive and pursuing indictments against those who lie about staffing levels and misuse public dollars. Unfortunately these issues are widespread. As the largest union of healthcare workers in Pennsylvania, we will continue to hold all nursing home owners accountable to residents, families, and caregivers. Through their union, SEIU Healthcare PA members stand ready to do whatever it takes to demand nursing home owners negotiate fair contracts that prioritize staffing and resident care.”
-Matthew Yarnell, President, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania