Md Court of Appeals Permits AG’s “Improper Discharge” Suits Against Nursing Homes

As we’ve highlighted in recent posts on this blog, discharge or eviction of residents by nursing homes  — also known as “patient dumping” — is a hot topic right now, and the latest important news is from the highest tribunal in the State of Maryland, the Court of Appeals.  The Court tackles head-on the issue of who has the power to take action to address improper discharges.   

On February 20, 2018, the Maryland Court of Appeals concluded that as a matter of first impression, the Maryland Attorney General has the authority to bring suit on behalf of “multiple facility residents for unlawful discharge.”  Further, the AG is permitted to seek injunctive relief to require a facility to assist residents receiving Medicaid benefits. 

In so ruling, the Court relied on specific provisions of Maryland’s statutory Patient Bill of Rights (rather than similar federal law) enacted in the mid 1990s, saying the legislation demonstrated the General Assembly’s clear “intent to limit involuntary discharges and transfers and to ensure that when they do occur, they are subject to procedural controls ensuring  a resident’s health and safety.” The Court did, however, look to federal precedent for authority to grant specific injunctive relief.

The Court rejected arguments by the challenging party, Neiswanger Management Services LLC, that operated 4 nursing facilities in Maryland.  The company claimed its signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with state authorities rendered moot all issues it had with the state.  As part of its ruling, the Court reviewed the history of State violations alleged against Neiswanger, including the State’s assertion that during one 17-month period, Neiswanger had issued involuntary discharge notices to “at least 1,601 residents,” in contrast to only 510 such notices issued during the same period of time by all of Maryland’s other 225 licensed nursing facilities. The Court concluded, “Neiswanger has not met its burden of demonstrating to this Court that the case is moot.”

There is a lot of meat to the ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals, especially with respect to the impact of low reimbursement rates under Medicaid, as compared to Medicare’s 100 days of coverage. For the full ruling, see  State of Maryland v. Neiswanger Management Services LLC.. 

For the AG’s own description of the ruling, see the Maryland AG Press Release on February 21, 2018.

See also the recent Business Section article from the New York Times, How to Challenge a Nursing Home Eviction Notice and Other Tips.