Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska recently pledged to introduce a bill that would ultimately halt the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing the staffing mandate that was proposed in early September.
In a column on her personal Senate website, Fischer mentioned her plan to prevent CMS’s rule from going into effect. Fischer deeply believes that the CMS mandate is misguided and will only create more harm in long-term care.
Fischer wrote, “This mandate from CMS would devastate facilities across Nebraska and other rural states. It would force many facilities to reduce their number of patients or close their doors for good.” Fischer feels that the proposed staffing requirements (while made with good intentions) would only lead to nursing home closures and limited access to care. Fischer also states that the “proposed rule is a one-size-fits-all solution that simply doesn’t fit.”
Deb Fischer isn’t the first to introduce a bill with hopes to stop the mandate. Representative Michelle Fischbach sponsored the Protecting Rural Seniors Access to Care Act to intervene with CMS as well. As of late November, the Act was still in the process of gaining sponsors.
However, not all senators think alike. Earlier in November, about a dozen or so senators pushed CMS to move forward with the rule. While they did acknowledge the potential complications from mandating staffing across the country, they believed that the mandate was needed, regardless of possible implications. The senators wrote, “The proposed rule takes a vital step towards ensuring residents receive this high-quality care by establishing common sense staffing minimums and improving enforcement.”
Residents in long-term care facilities must receive the proper care they are entitled to. CMS’s staffing mandate was created to improve care for nursing home residents. CMS’s proposed staffing mandate must be implemented to ensure that residents are receiving the best quality of care.
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Source
Marselas, Kimberly. “Senator Promises Legislation to Quash Nursing Home Staffing Mandate .” McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, 29 Nov. 2023, www.mcknights.com/news/senator-promises-legislation-to-quash-nursing-home-staffing-mandate/.
