AHA urges Senate, House members to halt enforcement of nurse staffing mandate

The AHA June 24 sent letters to Senate and House members supporting legislation that would prevent enforcement of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ final rule on minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities. In the letters, AHA expressed concerns that the requirements would stymie innovation in care delivery and potentially lead nursing homes to reduce capacity or close, including those performing well on quality and safety metrics. 

"Even more troubling, this final rule could lead to delays in urgent medical care as patients coming into hospital emergency departments (EDs) may experience longer waits as EDs and inpatient beds are occupied by patients awaiting nursing home placements." AHA wrote. "Lastly, we believe this final rule could exacerbate the already serious shortages of nurses and skilled health care workers across the care continuum. The agency estimates that 79% of LTC facilities would have to increase staffing to meet the proposed standards, including the new standard requiring 24/7 RN staffing."