PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that her office recently secured commitments from several companies, which operate dozens of nursing homes within Pennsylvania, to comply with state and federal disability laws by not discriminating against people with opioid use disorder or those using associated medications.
The initiative started by the Office of the Attorney General began with a complaint from a man who was prescribed suboxone to treat opioid use disorder and had been denied acceptance at multiple skilled nursing home facilities, despite having a hospital referral.
The Office of the Attorney ultimately received commitments from 38 nursing homes across the Commonwealth to comply with laws that prohibit nursing facilities from turning down patients, based on their opioid use disorder, unless they are engaged in illegal drug use.
"Opioid dependency impacts every Pennsylvania community, and those receiving medication that enables recovery should not be discriminated against," Attorney General Henry stated. "September is National Recovery Month, and these settlements highlight how people in recovery deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. In fact, the law requires it."
The complainant is a 76-year-old man, diagnosed with Lupus, who developed an opioid addiction from his prescribed morphine use for pain associated with Lupus. In December 2022, after a COVID-19 infection required hospitalization, surgery and further medical intervention, the hospital attempted to refer the man to many skilled nursing facilities in the Harrisburg area; none of the skilled nursing facilities would accept him.
The compliance commitments cover the following Pa. skilled nursing facilities:
- Spring Creek Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, 1205 South 28th Street, Harrisburg, Pa.
- Twelve facilities affiliated with Priority Healthcare Group, LLC.
- Six facilities affiliated with Kadima Healthcare Group, Inc.
- Six facilities affiliated with Senior Health Care Solution, LLC.
- Eleven facilities associated with ProMedica
- Londonderry Village, 1200 Grubb Road, Palmyra, Pa.
- The Middletown Home, 999 West Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, Pa.
A full list of the committed facilities can be viewed here.
The Office of the Attorney General additionally obtained $6,000 in restitution and damages for the complainant and $4,000 in costs for the office to be used for future public protection and education purposes.
