And three New Jersey nursing homes are being ordered to repay more than $2 million in Medicaid funds after an investigation from the state comptroller's office revealed the facilities were chronically understaffed.

Now the report zeroed in on the BellCare Nursing and Rehab Center in Trenton, Barnegat Nursing and Rehabilitation, and Barclays Rehab and Healthcare Center in Cherry Hill.

82 patients at the nursing home in Trenton were found to have gone through three full shifts without a single staff member on duty.

The comptroller's office says it observed the homes for a full month, and each of the nursing homes failed to meet the legal staffing requirements every day.

State law requires one certified nurse's aide to every eight residents during the day shift, one direct care staff member to every 10 residents in the evening, and one to every 14 residents at night.

Long-term care officials have brought legal challenges to that rule, arguing it's just too onerous.

The comptroller's office is planning to withhold 10% of all future Medicaid reimbursements to the nursing homes until the penalties are paid, and as Brenda Flanagan mentioned, the ability to do that could change under proposals in the new state budget.

Support for The Medical Report is provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

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