Bused and abandoned

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is stepping up its scrutiny of Nevada busing of mental patients out of state.

The Centers had earlier given the Sandoval administration until May 6 to provide evidence that it has corrected what the agency calls “serious deficiencies” in the operation of Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital or lose millions of dollars in federal funding.

Whatever the state then submitted was apparently not enough. The agency has now launched a second probe of Nevada's practices at the hospital.

Last month the Sacramento Bee reported that Nevada bused up to 1,500 patients to cities around the nation, including at least 200 in Los Angeles County, 70 in San Diego County, and 19 in Sacramento. Half a dozen local and federal agencies have launched investigations.