LETTER: Law will help elders, families
Wisconsinites owe a debt of gratitude to Sen. Herb Kohl for introducing groundbreaking legislation that will now protect our elders. The bipartisan Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act of 2009 will prevent nursing homes from deliberately hiding clauses within the fine print of contracts to force seniors and their families to surrender their right to trial by jury and enter into an unfair and one-sided mandatory binding arbitration process.
LETTER: Law will help elders, families
EDITOR: When you admit an elder family member into a nursing home, you are doing so for their own protection and well being. The last thing that you would imagine would be that you are also potentially taking away their legal rights. Sadly, this has been the case for many Wisconsin families due to hidden arbitration clauses in nursing home admission contracts. Although one has no choice but to sign such a contract, these agreements can be quite detrimental to protecting seniors from harm. Fortunately, this is about to change.
Wisconsinites owe a debt of gratitude to Sen. Herb Kohl for introducing groundbreaking legislation that will now protect our elders. The bipartisan Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act of 2009 will prevent nursing homes from deliberately hiding clauses within the fine print of contracts to force seniors and their families to surrender their right to trial by jury and enter into an unfair and one-sided mandatory binding arbitration process.
This act will make sure that negligent nursing home corporations can be held accountable by our most vulnerable citizens and their families. It will prevent them from unfairly stripping away their rights. Arbitration should only be voluntary, not hidden away In fine prints of contracts during our seniors' greatest time of need.
Sen. Herb Kohl has many times been the champion of our elders. By introducing this legislation, he shows that his commitment continues. Thank you to Sen. Kohl.
Christine Bremer Muggli,
Wausau
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20090325/WDH06/903250700 |