Oversight Committee Investigating ‘Unnecessary’ COVID-19 Deaths in New York Nursing Homes

Republicans on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform have launched an inquiry into thousands of deaths at New York nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (pdf), the ranking members from the two committees pointed to guidance issued by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on March 25, 2020, which stated that “no resident shall be denied readmission or admission to the [nursing home] solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19,” and “[nursing homes] are prohibited from requiring a hospitalized resident … be tested for COVID-19 prior to admission or readmission.”

This order contradicted guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the July 26 letter said. It “likely” led to the “unnecessary deaths” of thousands, the letter added.

The letter reminded Hochul that her administration had promised to be “fully transparent” with regards to the data related to nursing home admissions and COVID-19 deaths.

“This investigation is even more important considering troubling reports from the New York Assembly Minority Leader that you are in ‘no rush’ to provide answers to the families that lost loved ones in New York nursing homes,” the letter said.

The letter asked Hochul to produce critical material regarding the issue no later than Aug. 9. This includes the total number of COVID-19-related nursing home deaths, all state-issued guidance, executive orders, and directives regarding hospital discharges to nursing homes.

In an interview last year, former White House Coronavirus Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx admitted that Cuomo’s March 25, 2020 guidance violated CMS guidance. She also said that readmitting potentially positive COVID-19 residents back into nursing homes had negative consequences.

Wrong Data

In January 2021, New York Attorney

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