Federal Policies Regarding Assisted Living

Assisted living facilities are covered by federal law.

Assisted living facilities provide a degree of intermediate care between independent living and skilled nursing care, according to Medicare.com. This level of care is not covered by Medicare so there are no federal policies aimed directly at assisted living facilities.

Considerations

However, there are a number of federal laws which impact assisted living facilities. First of all, although Medicare does not regulate assisted living facilities, it does cover some medical services provided by assisted living facilities.

Types of Federal Statutes

In addition, assisted living facilities are governed by federal statutes such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Amendments Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts, which prohibit workplace discrimination and discrimination in the renting of facilities.

Misconceptions

Typically, federal anti-discrimination statutes require 15 or more employees before a business falls under the statute's governance, but assisted living facilities are covered because they receive federal funds either through Medicare or Medicaid. Thus, they are covered even if they have fewer than 15 employees.

References

• Medix Publishing: Assisted Living Facilities
• Assisted Living Federation of America: Federal Statutes that Impact Assisted Living