On September 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting proposed rule, which seeks to establish comprehensive nurse staffing requirements to hold nursing homes accountable for providing safe and high-quality care for the over 1.2 million residents receiving care in Medicare and Medicaid-certified LTC facilities each day.
The proposed rule consists of three core staffing proposals: 1) minimum nurse staffing standards of 0.55 hours per resident day (HPRD) for Registered Nurses (RNs) and 2.45 HPRD for Nurse Aides (NAs); 2) a requirement to have an RN onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and 3) enhanced facility assessment requirements. The proposed rule also includes a staggered implementation approach and possible hardship exemptions for select facilities. This proposed rule results from a multi-faceted approach aimed at determining the minimum level and type of staffing needed to enable safe and quality care in LTC facilities. This effort included issuing a Request for Information (RFI) in the FY 2023 Skilled Nurse Facility Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule, hosting listening sessions and extensive engagement with various interested parties, conducting a 2022 Nursing Home Staffing Study, which builds on existing evidence and research studies using multiple data sources, and reviewing recent years of Payroll-Based Journal System staffing data.
Establishing Minimum Nurse Staffing Standards
CMS proposes individual minimum nurse staffing standards for LTC facilities of 0.55 HPRD for RNs and 2.45 HPRD for NAs. However, these thresholds are minimums; while these proposed minimum standards, if finalized, would be applied across all LTC facilities, CMS also expects facilities to staff above these minimum baseline levels to address the specific needs of their unique resident population based on the facility assessment and resident acuity levels.
To read the CMS full media release click here. For additional information visit the sites below.
