Other Conference Calls

Notes from February 9, 2011, Conference Call: Dialogue Between Ombudsmen and the Federal Trade
The call featured Becky Kurtz, Director, Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, David Spiegel, Federal Trade Commission, and Michelle Chua, Federal Trade Commission. Its purpose was to start a conversation regarding potential issues in long-term care that may be under the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to discuss the scope of the Federal Trade Act and give Ombudsmen an opportunity to share concerns from their states. The FTC has jurisdiction of service practices, pricing and potentially resident discharges that under the Federal Trade Act are deemed “unfair practices.” The FTC is specifically interested in issues involving private pay residents residing in facilities other than nursing homes that do not receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.