The American Hospital Association (AHA) is lending its voice to the fight against the minimum staffing mandate, and joining hands with nursing home organizations as well as a coalition of lawmakers to overturn the federal government’s rule. By sending a letter to lawmakers Monday, AHA boosted the bipartisan bid to halt the staffing mandate through […]
AHCA/NCAL
Even though Derek Prince, CEO of HMG Healthcare, has been encouraging new initiatives to improve staffing at this organization and is celebrating wins on that front, he is fully aware of the unfolding crisis the federal minimum staffing mandate will represent for providers across Texas. Hence, Prince, who is also a board member of the […]
The federal government’s new staffing requirements for nursing homes present a formidable challenge – even impossible some say – for facilities nationwide, and operators must focus now on creating workers that don’t exist. The current reality is stark: if the requirements were enforced today, a vast majority of nursing homes in the U.S. would fall […]
The joint resolutions introduced under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the minimum staffing rule have enough votes in both the Senate and the House, and could pass. This is according to at least two news outlets, including The Hill and Axios. “The Senate measure, led by Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), James Lankford (R-Okla.) […]
Nursing home leaders convened in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to present a unified stance against the federal staffing mandate, which they argue could exacerbate existing challenges in long-term care facilities. The gathering follows a Congressional Briefing by American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) at the week’s start, and saw key figures from […]
The nursing home minimum staffing rule is estimated to cost the industry a staggering $6.5 billion per year, and would require an additional 102,000 clinicians, according to a new analysis released Thursday by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). To fulfill the rule’s requirements, more than 77,000 certified nurse […]
Nursing home advocacy groups criticized the Biden Administration for “misleading” the public with its negative rhetoric on nursing homes as reactions to the federal government’s minimum staffing rule continued to trickle in. Discussions of the finalized staffing rule were seen in recent policymaker committees, including the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, and […]
A national nursing home staffing campaign is in development to aid operators in meeting the federal minimum staffing mandate, and the sector will hear more about the campaign this summer. Dr. Dora Hughes, acting CMS Chief Medical Officer and acting director, Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, mentioned the campaign at the end of a […]
Health care cyber attacks have been an ever-present threat for providers, including nursing homes. But the most recent attacks on Change Healthcare have had ripple effects on the industry, prompting lobbying groups and federal agencies to action. The attack in February has affected cash flow and claims processes for some nursing home operators, associations said, […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Monday unveiled the finalized minimum staffing standards for nursing homes, drawing sharp – and deeply apprehensive – responses from leaders in the sector. CEOs of nursing home owners and operators and leaders of industry associations were all but unanimous in their reactions; among those who spoke […]
Medicare Advantage plans might lower their payments to nursing homes in 2025, to absorb the federal government’s benchmark rate cut to insurers. Nursing home advocacy groups are worried that this move by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to cut Medicare Advantage rates may be passed on to nursing home providers. The Medicare […]
Legislation to block the federal minimum staffing proposal for nursing homes reached a milestone today, passing in the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. The Protecting America’s Seniors’ Access to Care Act (H.R. 7513) was first introduced by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) and would prevent the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from finalizing […]
Despite ongoing investments from operators, the nursing home industry is struggling to rebuild its workforce and recover from the pandemic. Meanwhile, operators are concerned that the federal minimum staffing proposal, once finalized, will make operational challenges worse even as nursing homes limit admissions and are concerned about closures. Such findings were outlined in the American […]
More than 1,000 nursing home leaders, along with associations like LeadingAge and the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), sent a joint letter to House Ways and Means Committee leaders to reject the federal minimum staffing proposal. The letter, spearheaded by AHCA/NCAL, was sent late Thursday and signed by state […]
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is recommending that the federal government bolster its support to nursing homes – including through policies that help strengthen the workforce – in order to improve quality of care. In its latest report, which draws upon lessons learned during the pandemic, OIG lays forth a set of five […]
Mark Parkinson, CEO and president of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), on Tuesday announced plans for retirement after 13 years with the association, and leading its members through the pandemic. Parkinson plans to stay on until Jan. 15 of next year, as the association launches its search for […]
Rural and small market areas continue to experience growing “nursing home deserts,” an increasing crisis for local officials and beneficiaries facing access issues. In Nebraska, for one, state data shows 29 facilities closed their doors in the past three years, leaving pockets of “nursing home deserts” across 20 counties, according to a report from KETV […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is placing limits on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in denials of claims related to Medicare Advantage plans, and adding more guidance to health care providers on post-acute care admissions. The agency issued an FAQ Tuesday to address concerns related to coverage criteria and utilization […]
Piece by piece, nursing home operators are seeing stricter government oversight of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, a welcome relief given that partnerships with such managed care plans have become a huge source of administrative burden for providers in the sector, especially as workforce shortages persist. Most recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) […]
CMS isn’t expected to finalize the minimum staffing proposal until the summer at the earliest, with the agency having to wade through more than 40,000 comments before moving forward with the rule. The voices of skilled nursing providers, along with coalition partners like the American Hospital Association, will hopefully have been heard by CMS and […]
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