Epoch Times: Hopes for Improved Care in Nursing Homes as New Rule Allows Lawsuits (10/04/2016) Consumers can now sue nursing home facilities under a new rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. Part of a larger update on consumer protections by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the new rule “prevents nursing facilities from taking advantage of people on the front end and having them sign things when they’re thinking about everything other than arbitration,” said Justice in Aging’s Eric Carlson. Disputes between residents and nursing home facilities go through arbitration, which have been criticized for favoring nursing home facilities in the past. The new rules go into affect November 28, 2016.