There is a private insurance/ medicare advantage company that is attempting to come into the facility where I am employed and pitch their CRAP to our naive, trusting residents. I have worked in long term care for 20 years and have seen residents cheated out of the Medicare benefit they earned. By signing up, they completely relinquish control of their care to a private insurance company. I am furious that my company is even considering allowing this to happen. Is this legal?
Now if this is a totally private pay facility, then that's a whole other situation and there's gold in those hills. My mom was in IL a tiered facility that ran from IL to AL to NH and a hospice wing - only the NH took Medicaid; when she was in IL, on a regular basis there would be a speaker on annuities; advantage plans; investments (not stockbrokers either but always insurance agents); endowment giving to the foundation affiliated with the facility. Really the residents were pigeons for the salesmen.
My first thought is there is some relationship between the DON and whomever is the insurance agent? could that exist?; Second thought is the plan salesperson or agent is also related to someone who is also an owner of the facility - this done by corporate or LLC ownership to get around Stark Law violations.
If you are really concerned that there is coercion happening, I'd quietly ask whomever is the Area of Aging ombudsman for the facility to come to the meeting and sit in on the presentation. You could also set your phone to record the meeting as well.