Mandatory Nursing Home Insurance Bill Passes Oklahoma Senate
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The Tulsa World is reporting that an amendment submitted by Sen. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne, to Senate Bill 1549 would require nursing homes to carry at least $250,000 in liability insurance.
The Senate approved the bill by Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, 45-0. It now heads to the House.
An example of why this is important was placed in the Tulsa World article. The article talked about "Leah Gann of Tulsa, whose mother endured painful surgeries after suffering a severely broken leg at a nursing home, said she learned that the facility was in bankruptcy after she filed a lawsuit.
Gann said she filed the lawsuit because she couldn't get an answer as to how the injuries occurred. But because the facility was in receivership, it was not going to be financially responsible, she said.
People searching for a nursing home consider safety, cleanliness, location, an attentive staff and how well patients are cared for, she said.
"I never knew to look for financial solvency," she said. "I never knew to look for insurance."