What A Difference A State Investigation of a SNC Makes

State Investigation reminded me how useful an Internet tool can be to find out more about the financial workings of Not For Profits.

Guidestar.org has been a major tool I've used in the past few years checking out local and national Not For Profit Organizations. It helps you determine where to place your hard earned dollars to really benefit those in need of various types of charitable support.

Mom's SNC is a part of an almost annual $50 million dollar enterprise system or "business" according to Guidestar.org.  That's a yearly amount of income and almost all of it comes from payments made by residents to the facilities owned and operated by the NPO with a smaller amount collected through services provided.  At least that's what their 1099 shows on Guidestar.org for 2010 and 2011.

Top or "key" executives of one arm of the organization, which also supports several "subsidiary" organizations, are paid salaries claimed to be commensurate with "business" standards. These salaries are in the $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 plus range. The very top people even get their Country Club memberships paid for just like their contemporaries in the For Profit business world.

The difference?  Income into this organization comes from Medicare and Medicaid primarily with a few "self paying" residents. Rumor has it the organization wants to go all "private pay" with a few beds allocated to Medicaid; imagine that would keep their high paid executives salaries out of print and probably even higher.

What about another reporting classification for all providers of Skilled Nursing and other types of Senior Care mandating all of them, For Profit and Not for Profit had to make full financial disclosure annually? Might be a step in the right direciton regarding Medicaid and even Medicare expenditures accountability and shift the "blame" given to recipients to possibly the real "abusers", those who receive the funds in payment for services rendered -- or said to be rendered.

Don't know about you but I'm continually hearing how Medicaid is draining our tax dollars and how there are so many abuses by the people RECEIVING the money directly. Seems like no one's investigating where the dollars being collected by Senior Service providers taking in Medicaid payments are being applied or not applied.

When do we get a full report? What are the exact standards used to measure Skilled Nursing Facilities and how can we ensure our loved ones are getting the services they deserve on a continual basis?