The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has awarded $13.7 million to six states to design background check programs for jobs involving direct patient care.
The funding is aimed at curbing abuse in long-term healthcare settings.
“Elder abuse and neglect is tragic and intolerable,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Workers with a history of abuse or neglect should be identified and prevented from ever working with residents of these facilities."
“The new healthcare law will help states identify the best, most effective ways to determine which applicants can be trusted with the health and safety of residents and which cannot,” added CMS Administrator Donald M. Berwick, MD.
Created by the Affordable Care Act, the new National Background Check Program is designed to identify best practices for long-term care providers to determine whether a job seeker has a criminal history or other issues that could make him/her unsuitable to work with residents.
The first round of states to participate in the program are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Missouri and Rhode Island. Another 11 states applied and may be funded in October or November. CMS officials will issue a second solicitation in October for states that did not apply but may still do so.
The new law set aside $160 million, an amount sufficient for all states to participate in the program, which will run through September 2012.
Long-term care facilities and providers covered under the new program include nursing facilities, home health agencies, hospice providers, long-term care hospitals and intermediate care facilities for persons with mental retardation, and other entities that provide long-term care services.