Some nursing homes are taking residents' stimulus checks, FTC warns
Source: CNN, via Click2Houston
Some nursing homes are taking residents stimulus checks, FTC warns
(CNN) Nursing homes have no claim to their residents' stimulus checks. That hasn't stopped some facilities from trying to take them anyway. (1)
The Federal Trade Commission reported that that nursing homes in several states are requesting residents sign over their stimulus checks. (2), (3) The facilities may say they get to keep the payment if a patient is on Medicaid, which isn't true, said Lois Greisman, the FTC's Elder Justice Coordinator.
Here's why: The stimulus checks are considered tax credits per the CARES Act, which is providing economic relief to people and businesses. (4) Those tax credits don't count as "resources" for federal benefit programs like Medicaid, so the government cannot claim them, and neither can the nursing homes.
"This is not just a horror story making the rounds," Greisman said. "These are actual reports that our friends in the Iowa Attorney General's Office have been getting -- and handling. Other states have seen the same."
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(1) https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/politics/stimulus-payment-debit-card/index.html
(2) https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/05/did-nursing-home-or-assisted-living-facility-take-your-stimulus-check
(3) https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/politics/nursing-homes-reopen-trump-administration-testing/index.html
(4) https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN11282
Read more: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/05/20/some-nursing-homes-are-taking-residents-stimulus-checks-ftc-warns/