Congressional lawmakers have been warned of a potential ongoing scandal — and it could be impacting thousands of vulnerable seniors across America.
Inside nursing homes, many seniors have alleged that care providers have been seizing their Wuhan coronavirus “Trump Checks.”
According to The Hill, both state and federal officials have notified congressional lawmakers to the problem and a bipartisan plea is being made known to alert President Donald Trump to the situation.
Complaints cited alleged that patients in long-term care have been asked to give up their checks due to their Medicaid status.
But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has long-declared that under the CARES Act, patients are still eligible to receive the “Trump Checks” — Medicaid or not.
FTC Associate Director Lois Greisman said, “The main message is that the money belongs to the resident.”
“That’s the word we wanted to get out loud and clear.”
The bipartisan effort to spread awareness to the issue has taken shape from coast to coast, New Jersey to Oregon.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said, “We have heard some Oregon nursing homes may have taken or are attempting to take stimulus checks from residents who are Medicaid recipients.”
“This needs to stop. These stimulus checks are the property of the residents and must be returned,” she demanded.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-I.A., has asked the attorney general of the Department of Health and Human Services to “look into these practices targeting elderly Americans and individuals with disabilities and issue alerts to raise awareness that this practice is improper and contrary to congressional intent.”
So far the Treasury Department states that it has sent $159 billion checks.
The Horn editorial team