{"id":2031094,"date":"2023-09-13T20:04:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T00:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admins-proposed-nursing-home-staffing-level-rule-sees-pushback\/"},"modified":"2023-09-13T20:09:01","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T00:09:01","slug":"biden-admins-proposed-nursing-home-staffing-level-rule-sees-pushback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admins-proposed-nursing-home-staffing-level-rule-sees-pushback\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden Admin&#8217;s nursing home staffing rule faces opposition."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-admins-proposed-nursing-home-staffing-level-rule-sees-pushback%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2031094&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New guidelines for staffing levels at nursing \u200chomes around the\u2064 U.S. by the Biden Administration have been met by some \u2063with pushback on the proposals from nursing home associations, while some groups representing\u200d nurses say the proposals do not do \u2063enough to meet the needs of staff and residents.<\/span>\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>The White House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2023\/09\/01\/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-takes-steps-to-crack-down-on-nursing-homes-that-endanger-resident-safety\/#:~:text=Under%20the%20proposal%2C%20nursing%20homes,a%20facility%20with%20100%20residents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">says<\/a> the\u2063 new initiatives target \u2063the safety and \u2062quality of\u200b care in nursing homes, with the central theme of cracking down\u200d on establishments that \u201cchronically understaff their facilities\u2014resulting in poor, substandard care that endangers residents.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>In his State of the Union address last year, President\u200b Biden said his administration would work to \u201cprotect seniors\u2019 lives and life savings by cracking down on nursing homes \u200bthat commit \u200dfraud, endanger patient safety, or prescribe drugs they don\u2019t need.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<ul class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<li class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/health\/poor-rating-given-for-most-us-nursing-homes-quality-of-care-poll-5490223\">\u2018Poor\u2019 Rating Given for Most US Nursing Homes\u2019 \u2064Quality of Care: Poll<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/12\/2023<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/health\/poor-rating-given-for-most-us-nursing-homes-quality-of-care-poll-5490223\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<li class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/us-nursing-home-costs-increased-by-the-largest-amount-since-1997-post-5470358\">US Nursing Home Costs Increased by the Largest \u2063Amount Since 1997<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/16\/2023<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/us-nursing-home-costs-increased-by-the-largest-amount-since-1997-post-5470358\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<h2>RN\u2019s On-Staff 24\/7<\/h2>\n<p>A key point of the proposal, \u200ddirected by the Biden Administration through the Centers for Medicare &#038; Medicaid Services (CMS), will be to set a\u200d federal floor for staffing levels at all facilities\u2064 that receive Medicare and Medicaid dollars.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Proposed requirements include having a Registered Nurse on-site 24\/7, with three hours of care per\u2063 resident per day, including 0.55 hours from RNs <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and 2.45 hours \u200bof care from a nurse aide\u2064 per resident per day, exceeding existing standards in nearly all states, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/about\/news\/2023\/09\/01\/hhs-proposes-minimum-staffing-standards-enhance-safety-quality-in-nursing-homes.html#:~:text=Nursing%20homes%20would%20need%20to,standards%20in%20nearly%20all%20states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according<\/a> to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>CMS estimates the proposals will require approximately three-quarters of \u2062facilities to hire more staff\u200b to\u2064 comply with the rule.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:1024px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>A resident receives a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine \u200cat a nursing\u200c home after Israel approved it\u2064 for people over 60 in Tel Mond, Israel, on Jan. 6, 2022.\u2062 (Amir Levy\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The rule would be the first of its kind, with current guidelines being decades old as directed by the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, which only stipulates \u201csufficient\u201d staffing but without further \u200bguidance.<\/p>\n<p>The proposal has a lower suggestion for time spent on each resident per day than a CMS study from 2001, which proposed 4.1 hours per \u2063resident per day.<\/p>\n<p>A draft study released \u2062in recent weeks and later retracted by CMS concludes there is \u201cno obvious plateau at which quality and \u2062safety are\u2064 maximized,\u201d a conflicting data point when compared to the proposed\u200b rule. Groups opposed to \u200dthe rules have used the conflicting studies to oppose the proposal, while nursing advocate groups argue CMS is not going far enough.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The \u200dadministration notes that some\u200d facilities, particularly in rural areas,\u2064 could have trouble beefing up staff\u200b levels to meet the\u2062 new guidelines. They say it is mitigated by giving rural areas three years to meet the 24\/7 RN\u2064 requirement and five years to meet the other guidelines in the proposal.<\/span>\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Pushback from Nursing Home Associations<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the administration\u2019s enthusiasm for the changes, nursing home associations have voiced concern about the implications of them on healthcare facilities nationwide.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>The American \u2064Health Care Association (AHCA), which represents more than 14,000 \u200cnursing homes and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/neb-gov-ricketts-says-only-documented-workers-will-receive-vaccine\/\" title=\"Neb. Gov. Ricketts says only documented workers will receive vaccine\">long-term care facilities<\/a> across the country that \u2062provide care to approximately five million people each year, called the announcement unfathomable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is unfathomable that the Biden Administration is proceeding with this federal staffing mandate proposal,\u201d AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson said in a statement to The Epoch Times. \u2062\u201cEspecially when just\u2062 days ago, we learned that CMS\u2019 own study \u200cfound that there is\u200c no single staffing level \u200cthat would guarantee quality care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Parkinson went on to say that the \u200drules pose a threat to the industry, as it is\u2063 currently\u200d facing \u201cthe worst labor shortage\u201d in the\u200b \u201csector\u2019s history.\u201d He added the mandate is \u201cunfunded\u201d \u2063and will cost \u201cbillions\u2026each year,\u201d which will \u201cworsen\u201d the current \u201ccrisis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also criticized the administration\u2019s policy for penalizing facilities that \u201ccan\u2019t achieve the impossible\u201d because\u200d of the lack of \u201ctens of\u200c thousands of nurses that are simply\u200b not \u200cthere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlready, hundreds\u200d of nursing homes across the U.S. have closed because of a lack of workers,\u201d \u2064he said. \u201cWe hope to convince the administration to never finalize this \u2064rule as it is unfounded,\u200c unfunded, and unrealistic. We will vigorously defend access to care for our nation\u2019s seniors and advocate for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fmr-hud-secy-carson-announces-launch-of-new-conservative-non-profit\/\" title=\"Fmr. HUD Secy. Carson announces launch of new conservative non-profit\">common sense solutions<\/a> to improve quality and strengthen the long-term care workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>State nursing home associations have\u200b voiced their concerns\u2063 as\u200b well, with Alabama\u2019s Nursing Home Association President and CEO Brandon Farmer telling Montgomery\u2019s NBC affiliate the proposal is unrealistic in its timing and implementation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>Care giver visits with a nursing home resident at a Quality Life Services facility in Pennsylvania. (Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe pool in the universe of applicants to\u200b draw from has shrunk since COVID, the pandemic, and then \u2062you\u2019re competing with other health care providers along the continuum, hospitals, private physician offices,\u201d Farmer told the outlet. \u201cSo it\u2019s very impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Farmer estimates it would cost each facility in\u200b Alabama roughly $300,000 a year to implement on top of current expenses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt certainly has\u2062 the opportunity to create a financial situation and a regulatory situation that those owners have to make some decisions,\u201d he explained, \u201cand in doing such, that impacts someone\u2019s access to care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He believes the issue should be handled on a case-by-case basis, not as a one-size-fits-all approach.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Some Say Proposal Is Inadequate<\/h2>\n<p>Of the\u200d rule proposal, Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/colorado-officials-sued-over-alleged-discrimination-against-christian-preschool\/\" title=\"Lawsuit filed against Colorado officials for alleged discrimination against Christian preschool.\">nonprofit organization \u2062dedicated<\/a> to \u2064improving nursing \u2062home quality,\u2064 believes \u2063CMS should stick with the\u200c 2001 recommendations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>\u201cOverall, the proposed staffing\u200b requirement falls\u2064 far short of what residents need to be safe no matter live with dignity,\u201d Mollot told The Epoch \u2063Times. \u201cThe one positive component is the requirement that nursing homes have RNs 24\/7. The current \u2063requirement is to have 24\/7 professional nurses, but only eight hours of that is \u2064required \u2062to be performed by an\u200c RN.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said the\u200d proposal would not be beneficial for LPNs, for whom CMS proposes no minimum\u2062 staffing requirements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOverall, I would \u2062say that it \u200cis very bad for all nurse staff, since it essentially\u2063 puts\u2062 the government\u2019s imprimatur \u2062on staffing levels that are far below the current\u200d average,\u201d he said, adding it wasn\u2019t beneficial for residents either for the same reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Of the nursing home industry\u2019s claims that the CMS proposals are impossible to achieve, he said there isn\u2019t \u2064data to back that \u200cup.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe nursing home industry has been claiming for decades that it doesn\u2019t get enough money to provide good care and that it is\u200d impossible for them to find nurses to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admins-proposed-nursing-home-staffing-level-rule-sees-pushback\/\" title=\"Biden Admin's nursing home staffing rule faces opposition.\">improve widespread short-staffing levels<\/a>,\u201d he explained. \u201cThere are no independent data verifying either of those claims. The fact of the matter\u200c is, their own self-reported data indicate nurse turnover rates of over 50% on average, with many facilities having over\u2064 100 percent turnover.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also said he believed the industry \u200chad the capacity to meet the\u200b proposal, but even if not, it did not matter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEighty-five percent of nursing homes\u2062 currently meet or exceed\u2064 the three-hour per resident day (HPRD) minimum in the proposal,\u201d he \u2063said. \u201cYes, there will be some changes, \u2064especially, for many facilities, an increase in the RN hours in the building.\u2064 But, fundamentally, it\u200d really does not matter. Nursing homes are not supposed to be run like \u2064warehouses for vulnerable humans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added his belief that CMS failed to \u2062follow through on its promise to ensure nursing home residents \u2063receive the care they deserve and that they are paid to \u2064provide.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Bi-Partisan Concerns<\/h2>\n<p>The AHCA, \u2062in urging the administration to reevaluate the proposed rule, gave insight to politicians across the aisle who are opposed to the\u2064 regul<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>for staffing levels in nursing homes have faced resistance from nursing home associations and nurses&#8217; groups. Critics argue that the proposals fail to adequately address the concerns of both staff and residents. However, the Biden Administration maintains that these initiatives are necessary to improve the quality of care in nursing homes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1627,"featured_media":2031095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2031094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1627"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2031094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031094\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2031095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2031094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2031094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2031094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}