FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about our reports, the service, and our limitations. If your question isn't answered here, email us at support@facilitytruth.com.

About the report

What's in a FacilityTruth report?

Each report includes a contract overview, a clause-by-clause description of significant provisions in plain English (with citations to the article and section in your contract), industry context for each clause, federal Medicare facility data where applicable, state inspection citations where available, questions to consider asking the facility, questions to consider asking an attorney, and a resources section pointing you to qualified elder law attorneys and your state's long-term care ombudsman. See our sample report for a complete example.

How long does the report take?

Most reports are delivered within 30 minutes of purchase. You'll receive a confirmation email when payment is processed. Longer contracts (over 30 pages) or large scanned files may take up to 15 minutes longer. If your report hasn't arrived within 60 minutes, check your spam folder, then email support@facilitytruth.com.

How accurate is the description?

Our descriptions are built on review of many real senior care contracts and identify clause patterns we commonly see. Each described clause is cited by article and section so you can find it in your contract and verify our description directly. We strongly encourage doing so. Facility data — Medicare ratings, inspection citations, staffing — comes from publicly available government databases, which we summarize in plain English with source links.

Does the report cover memory care, CCRC, and skilled nursing contracts?

Yes. Our service covers assisted living agreements (including memory care additions), continuing care retirement community residency agreements, and skilled nursing facility contracts. Skilled nursing contracts have some structural differences from assisted living (the federal Nursing Home Reform Act adds resident protections), and our reports note where those differences are relevant. Memory care contracts in particular benefit from careful review because the resident's ability to advocate for themselves may be limited.

Can I share the report with other family members?

Yes. The PDF is yours to share with siblings, other family members, a financial advisor, or — importantly — an elder law attorney. Many families find that the report is most useful as a shared reference for family discussions and as a starting point for a conversation with an attorney.

Legal positioning

Is this legal advice?

No. FacilityTruth produces informational reports describing what contract language says and summarizing publicly available data. We do not interpret your legal rights, do not tell you what action to take, do not represent the opinion of a licensed attorney, and do not create an attorney-client relationship. For any legal question about your contract, your rights, or any specific course of action, we recommend consulting a qualified elder law attorney before signing.

What's the difference between FacilityTruth and an elder law attorney?

An elder law attorney provides legal advice, can interpret your specific rights under your state's laws, can negotiate on your behalf, and can represent you in disputes. A consultation typically costs $300–$500 and requires scheduling. Their work is legal in nature and creates an attorney-client relationship.

FacilityTruth produces an informational description of your contract and summarizes publicly available facility data for $99, delivered in about 30 minutes. We do not provide legal advice and do not replace an attorney. The two are complementary: many families use FacilityTruth first to understand what's in the contract, then bring our report to a brief attorney consultation focused on the legal questions our report identifies.

Should I consult an elder law attorney before signing?

For any senior care contract, we strongly recommend consulting a qualified elder law attorney before signing. Our reports are designed to make that consultation more efficient by giving you a clear understanding of what's in the document and what questions to bring. They are not designed to replace it.

To find a qualified elder law attorney, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys maintains a directory at naela.org.

Can a facility take action against me for getting a report?

You have the right to read, understand, and seek information about any document you're being asked to sign. We do not notify facilities that a report has been requested and we do not contact facilities on your behalf for any reason.

Uploading your contract

What file formats do you accept?

PDF files and image files (JPG, PNG). If you have a digital PDF of the contract, upload that — it will produce the best results. If you only have a paper copy, scan it using your phone's built-in document scanner. We do not currently accept Word documents — please export to PDF first.

What if my scan quality is poor?

Standard contracts scanned in reasonable lighting process reliably. If a section is genuinely unreadable, our system will note that section in your report and flag it for your attention. For best results, lay each page flat in good lighting and use your phone's document scanner mode (which auto-corrects perspective) rather than the standard camera. If you're concerned about quality, email a sample page to support before purchasing.

Should I upload all exhibits and addenda?

Yes — please upload everything. Significant clauses often appear in exhibits rather than the main agreement. Arbitration provisions, fee schedules, and rules addenda are commonly attached as separate exhibits. If your contract was provided as separate documents, combine them into a single PDF or upload as multiple image files.

Do I need to remove personal information before uploading?

No, and we recommend against it. Redacting personal details before upload risks removing context the description needs (responsible-party designations, signature blocks, dates that affect rescission calculations, addresses that determine which state's regulations apply). Your contract is processed by our automated system, treated as confidential, and permanently deleted within 30 days of report delivery. See our Privacy Policy for full details on PII handling.

Facility data

Where does facility data come from?

Federal data — star ratings, staffing data, quality measures, federal penalty history — comes from Medicare's Care Compare database, maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. State inspection citation summaries come from each state's health department inspection records. Both sources are publicly available; we retrieve, summarize, and provide source links so you can verify directly.

What if my facility isn't in the Medicare database?

Some facilities — particularly newer ones or those that don't accept Medicare patients — are not in the Care Compare database. If that's the case, your report will still include the full contract description and any available state inspection data. We'll note clearly which data was and wasn't available, and explain why. A facility not being in the Medicare database is not necessarily a problem — many high-quality private-pay facilities operate this way — but it does mean less publicly available oversight data exists.

Which states are covered for assisted living reports?

At launch, our assisted living service is available in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Additional states will be added on a rolling basis. Skilled nursing reports are available nationwide.

How current is the data?

Medicare's Care Compare data is updated quarterly by CMS. State inspection records are updated as surveys are completed and published, typically within 30–60 days. Each report notes the date the data was retrieved.

Payment and pricing

Is this a one-time payment with no subscription?

Yes. $99, once, for one report. No subscription, no recurring charges, no account required. We do not charge cards again without explicit permission. Payment is processed by Stripe; we never see or store full card numbers.

What is your refund policy?

If your report is not delivered within 30 minutes of payment confirmation, or if it's materially incomplete due to a technical error on our end, we'll refund you in full. Email support@facilitytruth.com and we'll resolve it within one business day. Because reports are digital deliverables generated immediately, we generally do not offer refunds after a report has been successfully delivered. If you have concerns about accuracy or completeness, contact us and we'll review the issue.

Can I order reports for multiple facilities?

Yes — many families compare two or three facilities. Each report is $99 and covers one facility. If you're ordering multiple, email us at support@facilitytruth.com and we'll arrange a small multi-report discount.

Is payment secure?

Yes. Payment is processed entirely by Stripe, which holds PCI DSS Level 1 certification (the highest available standard). We never see your full card number, never store payment information, and have no access to your financial data beyond confirmation that payment was successful.

Privacy and data handling

Who sees my contract?

Your contract is processed by our automated analysis system. No human at FacilityTruth reads your contract as part of the standard report process. If you contact us about a concern with your report, a team member may review the relevant section to assist you — but only with your knowledge and only to resolve your specific concern. Your contract is never shared with the facility, with attorneys, or with any third party for marketing purposes.

What about the personal information in my contract?

Senior care contracts typically contain personal information — names, addresses, dates of birth, and details of medical evaluations. We treat this information as confidential. We do not extract, index, or use names, addresses, or identifying details from your contract for any purpose other than generating your report. Your contract file is encrypted, accessible only to the automated analysis system (and to support staff if you specifically request help), and permanently deleted within 30 days of report delivery.

What is the optional research consent?

At intake, we ask whether you'd like to allow a de-identified version of your contract to be retained in our research library. The de-identification process automatically removes personal information from a copy of the contract before it enters the library. The library helps us recognize patterns across many contracts and improve future reports. Participation is optional and opt-in. You receive the same report regardless of your choice. Declining has no effect on price, delivery, or content. You can revoke consent and request deletion of your de-identified contract at any time by emailing support.

Does FacilityTruth contact the facility on my behalf?

Never. We do not contact, notify, or interact with facilities in any way on behalf of customers. The facility will have no knowledge that a report was ordered unless you tell them.

How long do you keep my data?

Contract files are retained for 30 days after report delivery (to allow for support requests), then permanently deleted. Name and email are retained for 12 months for support purposes, then deleted. De-identified contracts in the research library (only if you opted in) are retained as long as you allow. To request earlier deletion of any of your data, email support@facilitytruth.com with the subject line "Data deletion request."

After you receive the report

The report describes some concerning provisions. What do I do?

The report is designed to give you a clear understanding of what's in your contract and what questions to ask. The next steps are yours, but for any contract with provisions that concern you, we recommend three things: bring the report to a conversation with the facility to ask the questions our report identifies; bring it to a brief consultation with a qualified elder law attorney to discuss the legal questions our report identifies; and make whatever decision you make from a position of informed understanding rather than time-pressured uncertainty.

To find a qualified elder law attorney, visit naela.org.

The facility won't change anything in the contract. What does that mean?

Whether to sign a contract you have concerns about is your decision. An elder law attorney can advise on whether specific concerns warrant walking away, signing with documented protests, or proceeding as written. We don't make those recommendations — but we can help you arrive at that conversation knowing exactly what you're considering signing.

Can I get a report on a different facility for comparison?

Yes. Each report is $99. For multiple reports, email us and we'll arrange a multi-report discount.

Already signed the contract?

I already signed. Is a report still useful?

Yes. Understanding what you've signed helps you anticipate issues, recognize when something the facility is doing isn't supported by the contract, and have informed conversations with facility management. If you signed recently, your contract may have a rescission window during which cancellation is possible — your report will describe what your specific contract says about this. Whether and how to invoke rescission is a legal question for an attorney.

My parent is already living at the facility. Is a report useful?

Often yes — particularly if you're seeing billing discrepancies, receiving rate increase notices, disagreeing with a care tier assessment, or concerned about the facility's regulatory record. Understanding the contract puts you in a stronger position for those conversations. If you're considering moving to a different facility, a report on the new facility's contract before signing is exactly what FacilityTruth is designed for.

We received a rate increase notice. Can a report help?

A report on your existing contract will describe what the contract says about rate adjustments — what notice is required, whether there are caps, what limits apply. That's useful information for any conversation with the facility. Whether the increase is permitted under the contract and your state's law is a legal question we recommend bringing to an attorney with the report in hand.