CMS Official Announces Plans to Implement Mandatory Staffing Requirements for Nursing Homes by 2024.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has confirmed its intention to finalize a nursing home minimum staffing rule in 2024. The proposal, which was issued on September 1, requires Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes to provide a minimum of 0.55 hours of care from registered nurses per resident per day and 2.45 hours of care from nurse aides per resident per day. Non-rural nursing homes would have three years to meet these standards, while rural nursing homes would have five years.
The proposal has received over 46,000 comments, which are being used to inform the development of the final rule. However, advocacy groups such as the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) and LeadingAge have expressed concerns about the lack of workers and funding to meet the proposed staffing requirements. They argue that the mandate will have a detrimental effect on seniors' access to long-term care.
The CMS proposal has also raised concerns about the potential impact on other parts of the healthcare system, including homecare and hospice providers. LeadingAge noted that if nursing homes are required to meet higher staffing standards, it could lead to a shortage of workers in other settings. The organization is calling for CMS to address systemic issues such as chronic workforce challenges and inadequate funding before implementing any mandates.
Despite these concerns, CMS officials are pushing forward with the proposal, citing the need to improve safety and quality of care in nursing homes. In addition to the staffing rule, CMS also plans to collect data on ownership in 2024 to explore the role of private equity and real estate investment trusts (REITs) in skilled nursing facilities.
CMS has also reported success with its vaccination program, which has led to over 21,000 residents and 6,000 staff being vaccinated against COVID-19. The agency's survey and certification team also took approximately 10,000 enforcement actions across long-term care facilities nationwide in 2023.