MDHHS says 6K COVID-19 deaths were in long-term facilities, auditor general says they're 30% higher

MDHHS says COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes were reported accurately, others dispute that claim

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says, despite a recent report, its data regarding the number of people who have died in long-term care facilities is accurate.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - The State of Michigan says of roughly 28,000 deaths related to COVID-19, a little more than 6,000 of them were in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes. But a new report coming out on Monday will reportedly show that number is higher. So why the discrepancy?

The state says their data is right, even as the data was released following a lawsuit filed by the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, on behalf of former FOX 2 reporter Charlie LeDuff. The suit was to force MDHHS to turn over numbers and the department settled.

Steve Delie from the Mackinac Center says that the public has a right to know how many people in these facilities that house the elderly have passed away from COVID-19.

Facilities that have fewer than 13 beds are not counted in the state's data - and that includes adult foster care, homes for the aged, and skilled nursing facilities. If those were included, the number would be at least 30% higher.

It may all come down to the definition of long-term care facilities.

"It seems to be a lot of definitional fighting," he said

State Health Director Elizabeth Hertel said the state's data is accurate but the Auditor General's data is not. She added that the MDHHS complied with federal and CDC guidelines in reporting nursing home deaths.

"The CDC and CMS have very clear guidance for what constitutes a nursing home," Hertel said.

So couldn't the state use a tracking system that gets every death from every source possible?

"That would be great if we had the information technology infrastructure to do that, it would be a good thing, but we don't," Hertel said. "Representative (Steven) Johnson created his own definition, and that's what they utilized."

As for Rep. Johnson, he's standing by the report and says all the deaths in all the long-term facilities should be counted.

"Of course we should include them when we're trying to figure out nursing home deaths. And for the department to try to excuse that, to deflect from that, and try to avoid accountability, is shameful," Johnson said.

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