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Florida SNF lawsuits drop sixty percent, thanks to 2001 reform

LTC Liability Monitor, August 25, 2005

The overall number of lawsuits filed against Florida's nursing homes declined by 60% since reforms were implemented in 2001, according to the Naples Daily News.

The state Agency for Health Care Administration cited the benefits of those reforms, which included the establishment of risk management programs, a steep increase in fines for SNF infractions, and more frequent and thorough inspections of SNFs. Five years ago, reported the Daily News, Florida's SNFs had higher abuse and neglect rates than the national average. With the number of lawsuits mushrooming, many insurance carriers had stopped writing liability coverage and roughly 23% of nursing homes faced bankruptcy.

In 2001, Florida's state legislature brought $77 million in additional Medicaid funds to nursing homes in order to foot the improvements. Florida SNFs saw 471 lawsuits filed in 2004 versus 1,153 claims in 2002, according to the Daily News.

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