Doggett, Schakowsky & More than 100 Members Urge Administration to Strengthen and Finalize Nursing Home Safe Staffing Standards
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representatives Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and 101 lawmakers urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to strengthen and finalize the proposed Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting rule.
To ensure resident safety and the delivery of quality care, the Members specifically call for a phased-in minimum staffing requirement of 4.2 hours of nursing services provided to each resident per day (HPRD), including at least 2.8 HPRD of certified nurse aide and assistant (CNA) care, and 1.4 HPRD of licensed nurse care—at least 0.75 HPRD of which should be delivered by a registered nurse (RN). The Members also expressed support for CMS’s proposal to require a 24/7 RN onsite and urged CMS to adopt appropriate timestamped data reporting to improve oversight as well as to improve taxpayer accountability by expanding reporting requirements to include the percentage of Medicare payments spent on direct compensation of care workers and support staff.
“Vulnerable nursing home residents are receiving inconsistent care from overworked nurses struggling with burnout, mistreatment, and impossible caseloads,” said Rep. Lloyd Doggett. “These dedicated workers want to provide the best possible care to residents, who often feel like family members, but reinforcements are urgently needed—particularly as some facilities confront cuts demanded by private equity owners. Belatedly, CMS is taking necessary steps, that must be strengthened and finalized quickly, to protect residents’ safety and quality of care.”
“Every person in the United States deserves to age with dignity and access to quality long-term care. For years, I have championed a provision that would ensure that registered nurses are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in nursing facilities. I am happy to see that the Biden administration has incorporated this provision into the proposed rule for minimum staffing standards. This is a welcome first step, but we must go further,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky. “Congressman Lloyd Doggett and I are urging the Biden administration to strengthen and finalize the rule to set the minimum staffing standard to 4.2 hours of total direct care, which includes requirements for a total staffing minimum and a standard for licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants. Let me make this clear - nurse staffing standards save lives and strengthen the workforce. Let’s get it done!”
In March, Reps. Doggett and Schakowsky led a majority of the House Democratic Caucus in pressing CMS to establish robust nursing home staffing standards. On September 6, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Nursing Home Reform initiative, CMS published the proposed rule for consideration in the Federal Register—the deadline to submit a comment was Monday, November 6.
The letter in full can be viewed here.