Health Law Scan

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its Final Rule today to implement a minimum staffing “floor” for nursing homes in the United States, as first announced on April 22. The Final Rule, which as proposed garnered significant attention and opposition, with over 46,000 public comments submitted, reflects the Biden administration’s efforts to implement staffing mandates to ensure quality of care for long-term care (LTC) nursing home residents.

The Biden administration recently announced its much-anticipated proposed rule for implementing a minimum staffing “floor” for nursing homes in the United States and further launched a nursing home accountability initiative. These efforts are seismic for the long-term care nursing home community and will bring new challenges and scrutiny to a health industry sector battered with healthcare personnel shortages, pandemic recovery obstacles, changing reimbursement models, and regulatory scrutiny.