New Rules Proposed by Biden Administration to Address Staffing Shortages in Nursing Homes
In a significant move to improve the quality of care in nursing homes, the Biden administration has proposed new rules that would require the nation’s most thinly staffed facilities to hire more workers. This marks the most significant change to federal nursing home regulations in three decades.
The proposed standard comes in response to the nursing home industry’s troubled performance during the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in the deaths of 200,000 nursing home residents. However, both the industry and patient advocates believe that the proposed rules fall short of what is needed to truly improve care for the 1.2 million Americans residing in nursing homes.
Under the proposed rules by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (C.M.S.), all nursing home facilities would be required to increase their staff to certain minimum levels. However, the proposal does not include any additional funding for nursing homes to cover the costs of hiring new staff members.
C.M.S. estimates that approximately three-quarters of the nation’s 15,000 nursing homes would need to add staff members. However, many of these facilities already employ nurses and aides at or near the proposed levels, so the increases would be minimal.
Experts and advocates have expressed disappointment with the proposed standards, stating that they are lower than what has been recommended in the past. While the government has stated that nursing homes will be exempt from punishment if they can prove a local worker shortage and demonstrate sincere efforts to recruit employees, critics argue that the standard is inadequate to meet the needs of nursing home residents.
Executives in the nursing home industry have also raised concerns about the financial feasibility of meeting the staffing requirements without additional funding from Medicare or Medicaid. They argue that it is meaningless to mandate staffing levels that cannot be met, especially considering the current shortage of healthcare workers.
The proposed staffing standard would require nursing homes to have a daily average nurse staffing level of at least 0.55 hours per resident, equivalent to one registered nurse for every 44 residents. However, the average nursing home already provides 0.66 hours per resident, a ratio of 1:36, according to federal records.
The proposed rule also calls for 2.45 nurse aide hours per resident per day, meaning a ratio of about one aide for every 10 residents. While there are no specific staffing requirements for nurse aides set by the federal government, the average home already provides 2.22 nurse aide hours a day, a ratio of about 1:11.
The nursing home industry has been advocating for additional funding and incentives to attract and retain long-term care workers. They argue that the low wages offered by nursing homes, due to inadequate reimbursement from state Medicaid programs, make it difficult to compete with other healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
Medicare and Medicaid spent $95 billion on nursing home care and retirement community care in 2021, according to C.M.S. The agency estimates that the new staffing standards would cost homes an additional $4 billion in three years, with rural homes having five years to comply.
To address the staffing shortages, the Biden administration has proposed offering $75 million in scholarships and tuition as part of the new proposal. The administration is currently accepting comments on the proposed rules for the next 60 days before finalizing the new standard.
The proposed rules aim to improve the quality of care in nursing homes and address the longstanding issue of staffing shortages. However, critics argue that without additional funding and support, the proposed standards may not be enough to truly meet the needs of nursing home residents and ensure their well-being.
How do the proposed G rules by the Biden administration aim to address staffing shortages in nursing homes?
G rules by the Biden administration aim to address staffing shortages in nursing homes and improve the quality of care provided to residents. These new rules, proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (C.M.S.), would require under-staffed nursing homes to hire more workers.
This proposal comes in response to the nursing home industry’s poor performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a significant number of deaths among nursing home residents. However, both industry representatives and patient advocates believe that the proposed rules do not go far enough in improving care for the 1.2 million Americans residing in nursing homes.
Under the proposed rules, all nursing home facilities would be obligated to increase their staff to minimum levels. However, no additional funding is included in the proposal to cover the costs of hiring new staff members. C.M.S. estimates that approximately 75% of the nation’s 15,000 nursing homes would need to add more staff. However, many of these facilities already employ nurses and aides at or near the proposed levels, so the required increases would be minimal.
Experts and advocates have expressed disappointment with the proposed standards, stating that they fall below what has been recommended in the past. While the government has stated that nursing homes will not face penalties if they can prove a local worker shortage and demonstrate sincere efforts to recruit employees, critics argue that the standard is insufficient to meet the needs of nursing home residents.
Executives in the nursing home industry have also raised concerns about the financial feasibility of meeting the staffing requirements without additional funding from Medicare or Medicaid. They argue that mandating staffing levels that cannot be met is meaningless, particularly in the current healthcare worker shortage scenario.
Overall, the proposed rules aim to address the staffing shortages and enhance care in nursing homes, but industry representatives and advocates believe that more needs to be done to improve the quality of care for nursing home residents. The issue of funding and the feasibility of implementing these staffing requirements without additional financial support are also major concerns.
