SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, October 27, the dispute between Nevada and the City of San Francisco reached a settlement.
The settlement involves patient dumping: Nevada had been sending psychiatric patients to San Francisco without paying for any medical costs. It has been voted that Nevada will be paying San Francisco $400,000. A second board vote is required but it is expected to be approved without any foreseeable issues.
The case began back in 2013, when it was reported by the Sacramento Bee that patients were being bought bus tickets to ship them to California. A total of 24 people were sent to California with no medical records and no family connections in the state. Of the 24 that was sent to California, 20 of them needed almost immediate medical attention upon their arrival. 1,500 patients were sent packing to California and 46 other states between 2008 and 2013.
Along with the $400, 000 settlement that Nevada is required to pay San Francisco, there are other terms that have been agreed upon. The settlement states that both parties must inform one another when patients have made plans to travel from one area to another, unless the patient has been discharged then they are legally allowed to come and go as they please. This agreement was also made between Nevada and the state of Oregon and the city of Sacramento in California.
Nevada has also made the agreement that patients who travel to California will be receiving travel assistance. This means that they will not be allowed to travel alone but must be in the company of a responsible adult and once they have arrived they must be left in the care of a responsible adult.
A semi-annual report will also be given to San Francisco by Nevada and will continue until the end of next year. This report will include in it information about patients, date of discharge, travel plans, and the name of anyone at medical facilities that have agreed to watch after the patient.
Since the lawsuit has begun, Nevada has strived to improve their conditions.