Oregon lawmakers examine opaque nursing home ownership as federal rules take effect

Senators on the Oregon Senate Committee on Healthcare heard that ownership of nursing facilities has grown more complex and less transparent, and that state systems need upgrades to collect and publish the new data required by federal rules.

Alyssa Halperin, owner and principal consultant at Halperin Health Policy Solutions, told the committee on Jan. 17 that “ownership transparency” means knowing who owns nursing homes, how they are financed, and how ownership relates to staffing, quality and enforcement. Halperin said the national trend is toward for‑profit and private‑equity ownership and more layered corporate structures that can hide who ultimately controls facilities. She noted that “about 72% of nursing homes are owned by for profit corporations” and that ownership structures now often split property ownership, management and service contracts among different entities.

The committee’s nut graf: state agencies, Medicaid payers and consumers rely on ownership data to vet license applicants, enforce rules, identify conflicts of interest and decide where public dollars should go. Committee members and agency witnesses agreed Oregon already collects several ownership data points but will need rule changes, system upgrades and public‑facing displays to comply with federal disclosure requirements finalized in January 2024 and to make the information usable for regulators and families.

Halperin summarized why ownership information matters: without it, a licensure agency…