CMS releases proposed rule on minimum staffing in nursing homes

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Friday released a proposed rule that would impose minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities, including skilled nursing facilities, that participate in Medicare and Medicaid. CMS estimates that about 75% of nursing homes would have to increase staffing in their facilities under the proposed standards, which exceed those existing in nearly all states. Comments on the rule are due 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register.