Final answer:
Long-term care facilities not participating in Medicare or Medicaid are not subject to federal regulations specific to those programs but must adhere to state licensure requirements and general federal healthcare laws.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a long-term care facility does not participate in the Medicare or Medicaid program, then indeed, federal regulations specific to those programs would not apply to that facility. The facility would be subject to state licensure requirements and any oversight that accompanies those requirements. However, it is important to note that while Medicare is a federal program providing health services primarily to people over sixty-five years old, Medicaid is a joint health insurance program between the states and the federal government, created in 1965 to provide medical insurance for certain low-income people, including those below the poverty line.
The federal government helps to fund Medicaid, but each state administers its own program and determines eligibility. This results in variances across states since the program is tailored to state-determined needs. About one-third of Medicaid spending goes to low-income mothers with children, and a growing portion of the funding has been allocated for nursing home care for the elderly poor. States have discretion on optional services, and with the increasing financial burden, some states have cut back on these services. Furthermore, long-term care facilities opting out of these programs still fall under general healthcare laws and regulations instituted at the federal level, including those related to patient rights, safety, and quality of care.