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A Massachusetts nursing home has agreed to pay $660,000 to settle alawsuit alleging neglect of Medicaid patients. The Massachusetts AttorneyGeneral''s office charged Pioneer Health Care, Inc. (PHC) and its subsidiaryFranvale Nursing Home with fraud for delivering inadequate services to 80Medicaid patients and then seeking reimbursement of $227,000 per monthfrom Medicaid for those services. A two-year investigation of the companies by the Attorney General''s officerevealed that the nursing home''s staffing levels were too low to meet the healthand safety needs of residents. These inadequate staffing levels resultedin medication errors, accidents, dehydration, malnutrition, and bed sores. Commenting on the lawsuit, Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly said his office"will take every step necessary to protect our elderly and disabledcitizens and will hold accountable those who fail to provide for theircare." Medicaid pays 70 percent of the long-term care servicesprovided in Massachusetts.
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